Queenstown Times: Why did you want to become a board member and how long have you been in the role?
Roland Lemaire-Sicre: My wife, Keri, was on the board and Tony Sizemore, the treasurer, was moving out of the Wakatipu. She stood down from the board to let me "volunteer" as the treasurer. That was in 1996 and I have been in the board ever since.
QT: What is the biggest issue facing Southern Lakes Christian School pupils and what do you want done to tackle it?
RLS: The biggest issue our pupils face is the peer pressure they experience when they are older and are confronted with situations where they have to make a stand on issues which clash with their beliefs. What I want to do to tackle this is provide an environment where each pupil can blossom to a point where they feel confident in their faith and gifts to live in the world productively as global citizens. School can also help coach parents to be involved and responsible for the education of their children.
QT: Will National Standards improve a pupil's education at the school?
RLS: In my view, the academic achievement is a by-product of the strong ethics and morals we teach in our school. The National Standards need to be there as a benchmark, and we do well in this sector. They are very easy to be used by parents and encourage their involvement in the education of their children. But as I mentioned before, if a child starts their life with a strong set of standards and values, he or she will be better equipped to succeed.
QT: How would you describe the school's financial situation and what needs to be done to improve it?
RLS: If it was not for the compassion and generosity of a very few locals and of the New Zealand Christian school fraternity, we would have closed shop some time ago. We have faith in our Lord to provide for us. The school is to be integrated and that will take care of the main costs, which would help, but I do not think it is the answer to every thing. To be living in a loving community is more important.
QT: Is a Christian education still relevant in today's society?
RLS: We can see a shift in the standards that our young people display in the society of today when we are in a shopping mall, or just in the street. I believe this didn't happen by accident, but is the result of fundamental differences between the way we were and what we were a generation or more ago. In the process, we have forgotten to teach and reinforce respect and obedience. We do teach these principles in a Christian school environment. When your child becomes a teenager, you want to make sure that these principles are deeply anchored in his or her heart because it is too late then to make any changes.
QT: What benefits will the school's transformation from a private school to a private integrated school bring to pupils and the community?
RLS: Our school is to be rebranded and will have a fresh start. The building is to be refitted and the kids will enjoy the same values in a new and more affordable school environment. The benefit for the community is a long-term one and, as was quoted to me, "We produce citizens who not only contribute to growth and innovation in New Zealand, but also nurture and reinforce the foundations of justice, truth, discipline, fairness and righteous governance of our land and for its people." These are for the benefit to our community.
