Killarney Heights High School was awash with the sounds of Tahiti at a special assembly last Friday.

Exchange students from Collège La Mennais in Papeete, Tahiti, who have been visiting the school, joined in a celebration of cultural diversity and international friendships.

The Tahitian students, all in Year 9, are staying with families of Sydney students who participated in a similar exchange in Tahiti last year.

Their week in Sydney has been filled with fascinating discoveries, joyful moments, and meaningful connections.

Judith, one of the visiting students, expressed her enthusiasm for the experience:

"I’m really happy to have been able to participate in this exchange. It’s very enriching. I’m discovering so many things about other cultures and my host family. It’s amazing,” she said.

By spending time in the Killarney Heights classrooms, the Tahitian students have had an experience of a school system vastly different from their own.

From technology-driven learning to a more conversational classroom environment, the Australian approach has captivated Judith and her peers.

“They can bring their laptops to class, and they work a lot with technology, whereas in France, it’s always more about notebooks and pens,” Judith said. “They write less in their notebooks or computers; they do more exercises and talk more than we do. In contrast, we listen more and write more.

“Personally, I prefer the Australian system because I think it allows students to truly grow with what they learn, instead of just writing things down.

“Writing doesn’t necessarily mean understanding, whereas here, they’re more focused on hands-on learning through exercises.”

For Sonia Robins, a French teacher at Killarney Heights, and Gaëlle Laille from Collège La Mennais, the sister-school arrangement provides deep and valuable experiences.

“We’ve seen exchanges before, but they were one-way,” Ms Robbins said. “But having a reciprocal exchange where we go to their place, stay with our counterparts, and then the same counterparts come and stay with us—that’s very special because real friendships are formed

"We hope these relationships last much longer than the time of the exchange—maybe even a lifetime.”

Ms Laille noted that she was also learning, as much as her students.

“I’m learning a lot. I also want to thank the teachers here for their warm welcome—they’ve shared their teaching methods with humility. It’s been very informative,” she said.

Such sentiments were echoed by deputy principal Katie Rose, who noted the power in such exchanges are bigger than just the school visit.

“In welcoming, in sharing, in opening our hearts, we recognise a truth deeper than language, culture, or geography: the simple but profound reality of shared humanity,” she said.

The Tahitian students then proceeded to showcase their culture with traditional dances and songs.

The girls performed a dance honouring the beauty of French Polynesia, while the boys presented a haka, including Marvin who is proud of his homeland.

"I feel that by showing and telling them that Tahiti is a tiny island in the middle of the Pacific, they’ve really understood and learned about it,” he said.

Though Marvin admitted he has yet to be converted to Vegemite, the cultural exchange has clearly left a lasting impression on both sides.

Collège La Mennais in Papeete, Tahiti shares its exchange program with both Killarney Heights and Kirrawee High Schools, reflecting the size of the school.

This story was written with the assistance of SBS French radio, with interviews conducted in French. You can listen to French language version on the SBS French podcast..External link