Pupils taught key to success

MARK TAYLOR/Waikato Times

FUN KEY: Prime Minister John Key spends time with youngsters at Te Kura Kaupapa o Whaka watea.

If National lose the general election next year John Key could always become a teacher.

The prime minister had the children at Te Kura Kaupapa o Whakawatea eating out of the palm of his hand when he visited them yesterday.

Mr Key told the children, aged 5 to 12, a story about a boy who had to swim through a pool full of crocodiles so that he could either marry a beautiful girl or receive $1 million.

In the end the boy chose neither of the options.

Mr Key explained the moral behind the tale was that children could achieve whatever they wanted to do so long as they were prepared to put in the hard work.

"What we want you to do is be good for your mum and dad, try really hard in school and be the best that you can be," Mr Key said.

"When I was 10-years-old I said I wanted to be the prime minister."

Afterwards, the children flocked to Mr Key, cuddling him while chatting to him or staring up at him with wide-eyed adoration.

Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples and Associate Maori Affairs Minister Georgina Te Heuheu joined Mr Key for his visit to the school, which was to mark Maori Language Week.

The visit was also a chance for the children to show off the gardens at their school, which had been funded by Te Puni Kokiri.

Pupil Enfys Wereta, 6, said she was proud of the gardens.

"Everybody loves them," she said.

"We always take out the weeds because we don't want them in there, we only want flowers and things we can eat."

Atarea Thomas, 6, said he enjoyed being able to eat silverbeet grown in the gardens.

Principal Susanne Simmons-Kopa said presenting healthy eating options was part of the garden project.

Some of the vegetables grown by the students were ingredients in a hangi served to Mr Key.

Te Kura Kaupapa O Whakawatea is a Maori-language school with about 90 pupils.

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