The Papanui High School Adult ESOL Department has three classes each of about twenty students. All our students are either NZ citizens or Permanent Residents and so are new New Zealanders who live here permanently now.
Our students come from a range of countries, currently Taiwan, South Korea, China, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Afghanistan and India. All students are full-time and attend school for the same hours as mainstream students.
The course focuses on communication (speaking and listening), but also covers the core areas of reading, writing, grammar and vocabulary. Students also sit NCEA standards each year and take Kiwi cooking classes three times each term. As part of the New Zealand studies programme, students go on weekly outings to different places in the community to allow our students to get to know their community and learn about opportunities that exist in Christchurch for themselves and their families. Examples of weekly visits are an art gallery or museum, local charity group, shops of interest, a walk or sports centre.