Daily review 09/02/2022

Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, February 9th, 2022 - 24 comments
Categories: Daily review - Tags:

Daily review is also your post.

This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Don’t forget to be kind to each other …

24 comments on “Daily review 09/02/2022 ”

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  1. Molly 1
    9 February 2022 at 6:06 pm

    (Further discussion along the lines of curriculum, and the input of other agencies or specialist advisors that are meant to enhance curriculum, but fail to regulate their role and demand more than acknowledgement.)

    As pointed out in the comment on Open Mike earlier today about the unscientific ideas being part of the TKI curriculum guidance for 5 to 13 year olds, I was having a conversation recently with someone involved in developing achievement standards for high school.

    The standards also receive input from identified diversity people, including tangata whenua. The story regarding science/geology standard was talking about the identification of different soil strata and rocks. The input from the science teachers was about geology and identification of minerals, etc. They were told they had missed the reference to Maaori. When asked to define how this could be accommodated, the advisor said "You need to reference the mauri of the rocks, how you feel when you stand in the water and connect with the wairua of the place."

    If this is how curriculum guidelines are devised, we get a clear view of how genuine attempts at diversity can disrupt true knowledge sharing and engagement. The sad reality is, that the backlash to this type of accommodation will interfere with a true acknowledgement of diversity and other perspectives.

    When people in NZ start talking about CRT, it won't all be about ideas imported from the states that reflect white supremacy. Some will quite rightly be concerned about the influence of unquestioned advocacy for inclusion (regardless of fit) in all aspects of education.

    I hope those who value the benefits of having a grasp of Te Ao Maaori for NZ, also see the danger in this approach and make judgements and submissions accordingly when the topic comes up.

      • Molly 1.1.1
        9 February 2022 at 10:42 pm

        The Ministry of Education's guidelines for the NZ curriculum from Early childhood to secondary school: Te Kete Ipurangi.

        (Home educators sometimes used this to align their studies with peers at school).

    • Anker 1.2
      9 February 2022 at 9:10 pm

      Thanks for posting Molly. The comments about connecting with the mauri of the rocks etc……..well I just don't know what to say.

      Perhaps Swordfish would have a few thoughts.

      I have to say it is very similar to what I have experienced in my field, with the added aspect of being told that the approach we used, which had some science or good evidence behind it was just like colonization.

    • Nic the NZer 1.3
      9 February 2022 at 10:29 pm

      I saw recently that when you look at international school standards and break these up by ethnic group that the NZ european group are quite near the top internationally on average (or this was true around 2014).

      This indicates a few things.

      1) probably the relative positions on these standards are overall quite close anyway.

      2) there seems to be a separate tier of teaching for Maori and Polynesian students.

      One would hope that the curriculum has been taught in a similarly effective manner in most schools. But it would seem on the surface that any differences in practices between schools catering primarily to different ethnic groups should be scrutinized.

      • McFlock 1.3.1
        9 February 2022 at 10:57 pm

        Could be anything: socionomic status, school board representation that isn't proportional, student transience, funding, teacher turnover…

        It could be that if kids are more likely to live in poor households, hungry, and and unhealthy, their attendance and attainment will be comparatively lower. I.e. the observation might be jusst as much the result of inequity outside of schools as it is the teaching and funding inside those schools..

        • pat 1.3.1.1
          9 February 2022 at 11:03 pm

          Or it could be teachers spend more time being social workers rather than educators

        • Nic the NZer 1.3.1.2
          9 February 2022 at 11:22 pm

          It certainly could be a lot of things. Hopefully the MoE has a slightly better idea of what it is than that however. If it is socieo-economic factors of a schools student body then at least a case can be made for more progressive funding of lower decile schools to compensate for that.

      • Molly 1.3.2
        9 February 2022 at 10:57 pm

        There have been more recent studies on Māori and Pasifika achievement, and how low expectation is perhaps transmitted and becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy in a lot of cases. Other aspects have to be considered too.

        IIRC, there has been concerted efforts by both the National government, and this Labour led government to raise achievement levels in both demographics. Whether either effort has been well conceived or achieved is another story.

        My concern here, is that in the desire to support diversity and make strides into inclusion, certain perspectives that add value in particular areas, are bleeding into disciplines that are not related.

        Māori perspectives on culture and history are great to expand the ideas explored in social science, NZ history, geography etc.

        The arbitrary creation of possible applications of Māori concepts in other disciplines such as science, geology and earth sciences are disrespectful both to the science and to Māori culture. We should not be purloining concepts from our culture, and arbitrarily making up an application, just to have something to add to our science curriculum.

        If, as I suspect, we are using inclusivity and diversity advisors as architects of the curriculum, without prudent oversight and editing, we will have science curriculum that teaches students that all rocks have an inner mauri, and biological sex is historically constructed. This is a problem for us all.

        • Nic the NZer 1.3.2.1
          9 February 2022 at 11:29 pm

          Your saying 'wet' isn't the right answer to how you feel when standing in the water then?

          • Molly 1.3.2.1.1
            9 February 2022 at 11:42 pm

            Given that the achievement standard was to do with science, the first suggestion about the life force of rocks was met with silence, apparently the advisor doubled down and told a story about standing the water at the beach looking at the rocks, and feeling the life force, and suggested that someone relating the same should achieve the standard…

            …wet doesn't even begin to describe it.

    • Koff 1.4
      9 February 2022 at 11:39 pm

      That sounds quite scary and not where Science in NZ ought to be heading. I taught the new NCEA Level 2 Science Geology of New Zealand course when it first came out back in 2003. It was absolutely fascinating (because NZ does have riveting geology) and I think I ended up learning more than the kids did at the end of it (I was a biologist not a geologist!), but certainly there wasn't any cultural stuff in it back then. That's not to say that strictly outside of a science context Maori (and other cultures') relationship with the rocks, mountains, volcanology etc. isn't relevant.

      • Molly 1.4.1
        9 February 2022 at 11:49 pm

        The person I spoke to was concerned as well, and said that there is an environment where critiquing the input is discouraged, even when it obviously is not aligned with the discipline.

        I think Maaori perspectives have a place in NZ curriculum, but it does not mean that arbitrary inclusion is necessary in all subjects.

        • Anker 1.4.1.1
          10 February 2022 at 11:42 am

          IMO this is what happens when ideology drives decision making.

          I wonder if people challenged this example you give Molly they would be accused of racism.

          I remember a Professor I studied under in the early 1990's who was a Kiwi who had done his research and lived overseas for many years, saying to me, NZders don't like science. I am not saying this is the case, but his words stuck with me.

          The example you give Molly is interesting in the light of the Listener 7

  2. Ad 2
    9 February 2022 at 6:51 pm

    Well, January 6th it was not.

  3. observer 3
    9 February 2022 at 9:54 pm

    The mask really has slipped now. Even the apologists can't keep pretending this is really just about "ordinary Kiwis" having their say …

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2022/02/in-fighting-between-freedom-and-rights-coalition-counterspin-continues-at-convoy-protest-after-event-hijacked.html

    They may not be the friends you want, but they're the friends you've got.

  4. arkie 4
    9 February 2022 at 10:04 pm

    Chlöe Swarbrick hits the nail on the head regarding politics, ideology, values and the crises of our time during the Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement today in parliament.

    actions speak louder than words and I implore my fellow parliamentarians to be honest

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