France's military pigeons race in memory of their brave predecessors
But the racing bird serves as a reminder of the brave service of its predecessors in World Wars I and II, and the 1870 siege of Paris.
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NZ Herald
2 days ago
- NZ Herald
Charter schools told to keep enrolment numbers secret
'The first charter schools have had less than one year to grow and reach their establishment roll by the fifth term of their operation.' However, Tipene, a Māori boarding school south of Auckland, told RNZ it had 44 boys, while the Auckland French International School said it would start the third term with 25 pupils. One of Tipene's founders, Nathan Durie, said enrolments were higher than originally planned and it was clear the school was offering a type of education Māori wanted for their children. The Charter School Agency says it is not appropriate to share information about the rolls of the publicly funded private schools (file photo). Photo / Marika Khabazi, RNZ 'Kaupapa Māori, reo Māori are very sought after now in terms of the types of education that Māori people are looking for but they also want the opportunity for these kids to be... global citizens. And then working in particular special character aspects,' he said. Durie said the charter system gave the school more flexibility in its daily schedule. 'We don't deliver between nine and three. Our programme starts early, finishes late. They have breaks during the day, they're out on the farm here, they're out exercising, they're doing manual tasks,' he said. He said making boys sit in classrooms for five periods had never worked. Durie said the school was hoping to retain its current students and enrol a similar number of new students next year, taking its roll to more than 80. The French International School said it had students in Years 0-3 and expected to finish the year with about 40 students. 'The first two terms of the year have been very positive, with some students who did not speak a word of French in February now beginning to understand, write, and speak the language,' the director of the school's board Yves-Louis Dorsemaine said. He said the school was building three more classrooms because it had more than 60 confirmed enrolments for next year. North West College founder Sherida Penman Walters would not disclose this year's enrolments, but said it was 'well on track to achieving what we wanted to achieve'. She said next year's were looking good. 'We are taking enrolments for next year... we have a lot of interest in our school. In fact our Year 9s for next year is probably very close to our declared capacity of 40 students,' she said. Penman Walters said the school's model of academic subjects in the morning and arts in the afternoon is attractive to many families. The Charter School Agency said the charter school authorisation board was considering 52 applications from organisations wanting to set up new charter schools next year, as well as two applications from state or state integrated schools wanting to convert. It said state and state integrated schools wanting to convert later next year should lodge an expression of interest by July 16. - RNZ
NZ Herald
3 days ago
- NZ Herald
France's military pigeons race in memory of their brave predecessors
These days, French military pigeon number 193-529 is no longer needed to carry tiny messages during war-time communication blackouts. But the racing bird serves as a reminder of the brave service of its predecessors in World Wars I and II, and the 1870 siege of Paris.
1News
10-07-2025
- 1News
Dawn service held 40 years on from Rainbow Warrior bombing
The Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior has sailed into Auckland to mark the 40th anniversary of the bombing of the original Rainbow Warrior in 1985. Greenpeace's vessel, which had been protesting nuclear testing in the Pacific, sank after French government agents planted explosives on its hull, killing Portuguese photographer Fernando Pereira. Today, 40 years on from the events on July 10 1985, a dawn ceremony was held in Auckland. Author Margaret Mills was a cook on board the ship at the time, and has written about her experience in a book entitled Anecdotage. Author Margaret Mills. (Source: 1News) ADVERTISEMENT The 95-year-old told Breakfast the experience on board "changed her life". 'I was sound asleep, and I heard this sort of bang and turned the light on, but it wouldn't go on. She said when she left her room, a passenger told her "we've been bombed". "I laughed at him, I said 'we don't get bombs in New Zealand, that's ridiculous'." Newsmakers: Rainbow Warrior deckhand recalls French bombing She said they were taken to the police station after a "big boom when the second bomb came through". "I realised immediately, I was part of a historical event," she said. ADVERTISEMENT Journalist David Robie (right) and Greenpeace executive director Russel Norman (Source: 1News) Journalist on the Rainbow Warrior David Robie told Breakfast it was a "really shocking, shocking night". "We were so overwhelmed by the grief and absolute shock of what had happened. But for me, there was no doubt it was France behind this." "But we were absolutely flabbergasted that a country could do this." He said it was a "very emotional moment" and was hard to believe it had been 40 years since that time. "It stands out in my life as being the most momentous occasion as a journalist covering that whole event." Executive director of Greenpeace Aotearoa Russel Norman said the legacy of the ship was about "people who really stood up for something important". ADVERTISEMENT "I mean, ending nuclear testing in the Pacific, imagine if they were still exploding bombs in the Pacific. We would have to live with that. And those people back then they stood up and beat the French government to end nuclear testing. "It's pretty inspirational." He said the group were still campaigning on some key environmental issues today.
