Students who feel that their cultural identity is valued report better experiences at school, a study has shown.
The data comes from Growing Up in New Zealand, the largest longitudinal study into the wellbeing of fifteen-year-olds in Aotearoa. For the Now We Are Fifteen Education and Mental Health and Wellbeing snapshot reports. 4000 participants were questioned in 2025 about their education and wellbeing, with the study designed to offer insights into the factors that shape their learning, resilience and connection at a key stage in their lives.
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Cultural connectedness in the study was defined as students feeling that their cultural identity is acknowledged and respected.
The importance of cultural connectedness
Students with a sense of cultural connectedness were more likely to report being satisfied with school, whereas students who felt discriminated against were more likely to report dissatisfaction.
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A greater sense of cultural connectedness, the study found, was linked to higher academic buoyancy, defined as how students perceive their ability to effectively deal with setbacks, challenges and pressures in an academic setting.
Rating school satisfaction
The study grouped respondents by their ethnic backgrounds; students were counted in each of the ethnic groups they identified with, except for those in the European group, who were represented by students who solely identified as European.
Results showed that students who identified as Asian were more likely to report positive feelings associated with school, with 48 percent falling into the ‘higher school satisfaction’ group.
46 percent of Pacific students reported higher school satisfaction, alongside 38 percent European and 35 percent Māori.
Reporting discrimination
Another crucial factor in school satisfaction was feelings of safety and inclusiveness at school.
Very large numbers of students reported at least one perceived incident of discrimination in the last 12 months.
This included all students in the ‘other’ ethnic grouping, as well as 91 percent of students in the European and Asian groups, 83 percent of the broad Middle Eastern, Latin American, and African group, 78 percent of Māori students and 55 percent of Pacific young people.
These instances of discrimination included a wide range of causes, from skin colour and accent to disability, gender and dress.
Students who had not experienced any discrimination were 10 percent more likely to report higher school satisfaction.
The report also highlighted the increased difficulties of students with disabilities. Those with disabilities reported lower levels of academic buoyancy than their non-disabled peers and struggled more with a sense of cultural connectedness.
Beyond secondary school
Most students across all ethnic groups said they felt prepared for Year 11, and the many spoke of aspirations for university.
Māori students were the least likely to report intentions to go to university at 30.4 percent, and Asian students the most likely at 71.7 percent. Pacific students were most likely to say they would go on to further study or training, including vocational or trades training, at 16.5 percent.
Questions were also asked about students’ sense of wellbeing in a non-academic context.
A large majority reported having good friends at 84 percent, with most saying their friends could tell when they were upset and talked to them about it.
