Tereora College’s student leaders have started the year on a high note by reviving a significant old practice, the flag-raising ceremony, which was last held about a decade ago.

This practice signals the student leaders’ goal of uniting all students as one, and it is also part of one of their few projects for the year.

Minister for Education Vaine “Mac” Mokoroa, Secretary for Education Owen Lewis, Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Immigration (MFAI) Tepaeru Herrmann, Parents Teacher Association representatives were among guests at the event on Monday.

They joined the students and staff to officially bless their new flag and flagpole and to inaugurate the daily flag-raising ceremony practice before classes begin. Starting this Monday, all students are required to attend this important part of school life before beginning their daily routines.

Tereora College head girl Ellenoah Oti emphasised that being a leader is one thing and being a fellow student who helps revive such important practices is another.

“It was just about probably almost a decade ago, when we last had a flag raising, and we decided to bring it back because we thought that, bringing back who we are, showing our kids that we are Cook Islands citizens was best and we’re heading on to our 60^th independence year,” Oti told Cook Islands News.

“So, we thought that it was a good idea that this should be one of the traditions revived in our school.”

According to Oti, the idea originated with her and the head boy as part of their projects, before they sought assistance from their 28 fellow leaders.

“The feeling was heart-warming because in my whole life in Tereora College, I’ve never experienced any moment like that where we get to feel as one,” Oti said.

“I felt like it had to be a tradition that would stay in this school for longer than a decade and it was actually really good.”

In addressing the large gathering of more than 750 students, staff and guests, head boy Ezekiel Tuatea Tatuava-Enjoy on Monday said, “Today’s flag hoisting ceremony is not just about hoisting a piece of cloth. It is about reviving our traditions that symbolises who we are as Cook Islanders. Our flag represents our people, our land, our freedom, and our future. It is a reminder of our culture, our values, and the pride that we hold as Cook Islanders.”

The re-introduction of the flag hoisting ceremony each school morning is the first initiative implemented by the 2025 student leadership cohort, which Tatuava-Enjoy said leaders hoped would be a commitment by all Tereora students to “uphold our culture, respect our school, and strive for excellence in all aspects of our lives”.

MFAI, who have partnered with Tereora on a number of student leadership initiatives over the years, was honoured to sponsor the new flagpole now proudly positioned at the entrance of Tereora's drive-through, ensuring this new tradition will stand tall for years to come, the Ministry said in a statement.

Student leaders were presented with Cook Islands flag badges, which they were encouraged to wear with pride.

MFAI Secretary Herrmann, a proud former student and head girl of Tereora, encouraged students to carry this sense of national pride and service leadership responsibility in their actions.

She noted that while the flag and its symbolism was important, more important was the flag they should cultivate on the inside – the values, pride and identity they uphold as Cook Islanders and the national service obligations they have committed to in taking on student leadership responsibilities.

“MFAI again congratulates the student leadership cohort of 2025 and looks forward to continuing its partnership with student leaders and the Tereora community in 2025, investing in the future of our nation,” the statement said.

“The re-introduction of the flag-raising ceremony this year is particularly poignant as the Cook Islands celebrates 60 years of self-governance in free association with New Zealand and Tereora celebrates 135 years since the school was first established.”

MFAI understands that Tereora was first established by the London Missionary Society in 1895, closed in 1911 by the New Zealand colonial administration, and reopened in 1954 as a public school. The school buildings were built in the 1950s. The publication “Below the Bluff,” published in 1995, details the early history of the school.

• Additional reporting by MFAI