Principals and other educators from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints met in Auckland, New Zealand earlier this month to identify ways to improve education and life outcomes for students of the Church’s 16 Pacific region schools.
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Members of the Pacific Area Presidency, Elder James J. Hamula, Elder Kevin W. Pearson and Elder F. Michael Watson attended parts of the conference, addressing participants.
Elder James J. Hamula told the principals that the purpose of a Church school must be “real growth in the lives of students.”
“Real growth,” Elder Hamula taught, “means growing up unto the full stature of our Heavenly Father.”
Elder Hamula explained that reaching the full stature of the Father comes by “increasing in intelligence, which the scriptures declare is light and truth and is the glory of God. Religious and secular education, which is the aim of our Church schools, facilitates the acquisition of light and truth and thus the glory of God.”
Elder Hamula concluded by telling the Church school principals that the Church schools must become agents for change in behaviour. “Our scriptures declare that the adversary takes away light and truth through disobedience, or behavior contrary to principles of truth, and the traditions of the fathers. If the Church schools are to facilitate the acquisition of light and truth, then the Church schools must help students know how to act according to truth, and that must include laying aside traditions and customs that are inconsistent with the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Elder Kevin W. Pearson said, “The schools need to develop learners, who can become leaders, who will in turn help other learners.”
Referring to a new curriculum for Latter-day Saint youth around the world, Elder F. Michael Watson said that the learning resources, titled ‘Come Follow Me,’ “provide foundational principles for young people.”
“This month,” Elder Watson said, “all of our young people are learning about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. What a wonderful thing that is, particularly as we enter the Easter season, that our youth can be reading, listening, talking and sharing about how the Saviour’s Atonement has blessed their lives.”
Pacific Area Manager of Church Schools, Bruce Yerman, spoke about the connection between literacy and leadership. “Part of the mission of Church schools is to prepare leaders in the countries of the Pacific —in the Church and the wider community.”
“Learning and speaking English is vital to this goal. We are realizing that improving reading and writing is essential to improving English, and we have several outstanding missionary couples at this time with expertise in this area. Literacy is fundamental to learning and we need all of our students to do better.”
“We are also dedicated to helping our young people prepare to give service in many ways,” he added, “including as missionaries.”
One attendee at the conference, Robert Szoka, a senior missionary and former school principal serving in the International Teacher Educator Program, sees “learning as a stewardship, a sacred thing.”
"We as principals and educators,” he says, “have a stewardship to gain knowledge and share it with others so they, in turn, can learn how to be life-long learners and achievers.”
“The focus of this conference has been on one of the greatest challenges we face — literacy,” said Lita Iabeta, the Principal of Moroni High School in Kiribati. “It has been very beneficial to hear from the different instructors who have shared their knowledge and skills.”
Tipo Solomone, from Fiji, feels that the conference was “overflowing, very successful, and full of new challenges.”
Guest presenters at the conference included John Bailey, College of Human Development, Brigham Young University (BYU) Hawaii; Brent Chowen, Department Chair of Education BYU Hawaii; and Scott Wilde, Assistant Administrator of Seminaries and Institutes of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints operates schools in the Pacific Area, in Samoa, Tonga, Fiji and Kiribati.
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