This month sees the Ministry of Education begin to roll out a radical programme, designed in partnership with Māori, to indigenise and ‘decolonise’ all parts of the education system. Te Hurihanganui is a blueprint to guide a structural and cultural shift in education, and the community. It reads like a totalitarian manifesto, with its mention of ‘change and thought leaders’ working to implement the plan. And “Leaders test models of good practice and apply critical consciousness and kaupapa Māori to disrupt the status quo and affect change. Leaders hold the line on change through the disruption”.
Forewarned is forearmed - please take the time to read Te Hurihanganui and be ready to become involved when the it comes to a school near you. See the following article for a brief outline of the programme, and links to further information.
Plans to 'decolonise' the education system are being closely followed by those advocating for a transformation of the justice system in a similar fashion. See the first of a three-part series published by Newsroom, Laura Walters reports on calls to decolonise the justice system.
Further on the subject of education - the updated New Zealand history curriculum, due to be implemented by 2022, is heralded to span the full range of New Zealanders’ experiences. However, the draft list of expected topics fails to mention the Musket Wars. In ‘The Forgotten Wars: Why the Musket Wars matter today’, author Ron Crosby sets out to ensure that readers will be able to appreciate just how much of an omission this is. For, as he describes in the book, these conflicts between 1806 and 1845 were the longest period of continuous warfare in New Zealand, and claimed tens of thousands of lives - killing, wounding or displacing up to half of the Māori population.
‘The Forgotten Wars: Why the Musket Wars matter today’ is available from Oratia Books
Update on the Tauranga and New Plymouth petitions for polls on Māori wards
Concerned citizens in New Plymouth and Tauranga, who believe voters should be given the opportunity to have a say on the establishment of Māori wards, are well underway in their campaign to gather signatures on a petition to force a referendum in their areas. However, there is much more work to be done - please offer help and support to the organisers, especially if you live in the New Plymouth or Tauranga areas – or even if visiting in the coming months. The contact details are as follows:
Tauranga – Concerned Citizens email address - [email protected]
New Plymouth - Kevin Moratti: email [email protected] phone: 0274-246868
- Murray Chong: phone 021 936837
Help grow our petition: Surgery based on need not race.
Please consider signing our petition opposing the decisions made by several District Health Boards to prioritise Māori and Pasifika patients on elective surgery waiting lists. We believe priority should be based on clinical urgency and the time a patient has waited, not race. Please see following article for details.
Upcoming events which may be of interest:
- Democracy Action working group meeting, Monday 9th November. Please email for details: [email protected]
- Hauraki Gulf Forum - the next meeting is scheduled for 1pm 30 November, at the Pukorokoro Shorebird Centre, 283 East Coast Rd, Miranda.
You are welcome to share the information in this newsletter with your friends, family, and other contacts. Also, please direct to our website anyone who may be interested in the issues we cover and would like to be added to our mailing list. See: https://www.democracyaction.org.nz/about
Thank you for your continued interest and support. If you have any suggestions you would like to offer, or if you need further information or help, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected]
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Kind regards,
Susan Short