The First 30 Years of New Zealand's First Samoan Bilingual Primary Class.
In 1980s Auckland there were many New Zealand Samoan children whose first language was not English and who struggled in mainstream classes. One small community of parents and their local school – Richmond Road Primary School – created a Samoan bilingual education vision and brought it to life. They established a unit that would nurture Samoan language and culture, providing children with an opportunity to be immersed and valued in both cultures. Now thirty years on, Mua i Malae remains a thriving centre of learning.
