As part of the ACE Aotearoa Adult Learners’ Week He Tangata Mātauranga Festival, Onehunga High School Adult Learning Centre held an Open Night on Thursday 11 September to showcase its wide range of courses and celebrate the achievements of both tutors and learners.

Each year, Onehunga High School Adult Learning reaches around 4,000 learners across three campuses— Onehunga High, Rosehill College, and Aorere College. With approximately 170 courses on offer, the centre caters to an impressive variety of interests. Director of Adult Learning, Lisa Clark, says the hands-on courses are currently the most in demand.

“Upholstery, woodworking, welding, painting—these are extremely popular,” Lisa explains. “Much of it is about upcycling, but it’s also about affordability and creativity. Japanese language is another standout—many people are travelling to Japan and can’t access classes through schools, so they come to us.”

The centre also runs a strong English as a Second Language (ESOL) programme with both day and evening classes. Beyond this, learners can explore cooking (Mediterranean, Asian, or Indian styles), fitness and wellbeing (yoga, Pilates, Bollywood dancing), or creative skills such as sewing, knitting, and crocheting.

The Open Night was a true community affair. Around 60–70 people attended, with 15 tutors volunteering their time to demonstrate what makes their classes so special. Displays of student work filled the venue, a mini aromatherapy class was held, visitors were able to sample Malaysian food and the crowd was treated to a live Bollywood dance performance.

Lisa says the event had two main purposes: “We wanted to celebrate the incredible range of learning happening here—so that tutors, students, and the community could see and share in it—and we also wanted to encourage enrolments for next term. People are often surprised by the breadth of our courses, and our aim is to create some buzz ahead of Term 4.”

For Lisa, who became Director of Adult Learning in January 2023, the move from secondary school teaching into adult and community education has been eye-opening.

“Our classes are far less formal. There are no tests or exams—students come with clear goals and are deeply engaged because they want to be here. The tutors shape their teaching around learners’ interests, and that makes for a very dynamic programme. There’s also a huge social element; people form friendships across ages and backgrounds, bonded by shared interests and the joy of learning.”

The evening also included a special moment of recognition for long-standing members of the Onehunga High School Adult Learning whānau. Three tutors, each with more than twenty years of service, including Radha Ramachandra, Doug Bryan and Kim Daly, were acknowledged for their commitment, alongside three learners who continually enrol in classes term after term.

And it wasn’t just the evening that was buzzing—earlier that day, the centre also teamed up with Onehunga Library to host a stand at the library’s Adult Learners Expo, ensuring the Festival reached even further into the community.

Reflecting on the day, Lisa said, “It was a long day—but a great one.”