Matariki: Puanga rises over Ruapehu to herald Māori new year
The theme for the national celebration was Matariki mā Puanga, highlighting the star Puanga, or Rigel.
The star's appearance was observed and celebrated early on
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NZ Herald
2 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Aaron Smale: Bill, Will and talkback trash
Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech. Bookbinder Bill Tito treats Shakespeare like a taonga, but receives racism and bigotry in return. Photo / Aaron Smale In a past life, Mana magazine editor Derek Fox asked me to take a photo of the bookbinder Bill Tito. Derek had written a human interest piece on a lovely man who came to the big city and landed an apprenticeship as a bookbinder, a master craft he has practised ever since. He's nearly 80. Bill is not only a lovely man but also interested in everything, and he had built a marketing style that revolved around pithy rhymes and his own natural charisma and charm. One of his catchlines was, 'Don't despair, think repair.' Books are one of my indulgences and stepping into Bill's workshop was to enter a wonderland of history and craftsmanship. It was filled with old and severely worn titles people had treasured over generations and couldn't bear to get rid of. Many were copies of The Bible the size of a modest doorstep. One was tiny and could fit into the palm of your hand. But it didn't matter – Bill would lovingly restore them all. Many others were editions of Shakespeare's works, also heirlooms that he restored to their former glory. In a recent radio ad, he referred to Shakespeare as England's kaumātua. That sounds to me like an expression of the utmost respect, which was how Bill intended it. Kaumātua can mean elder, but it's more than that. It encapsulates wisdom and reverence. It's a different meaning to rangatira, or chief/leader, but the two terms can overlap considerably. It was too much for some listeners to Newstalk ZB, where Bill was the target of racist vitriol in letter and by phone from mostly anonymous dickheads. There were insults about Māori literacy and just general racist nastiness. (Actually, in the 19th century, many Māori were more literate than many Pākehā getting off the boat, who weren't exactly speaking Shakespearean English, while some iwi had their own printing presses.) One woman accused Bill of virtue signalling. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have a clue what she was on about – he doesn't use email, let alone Facebook. But it's clear from her letter that this woman is a white supremacist, and a gutless one at that. She wasn't the only one. Suffice to say, Bill Tito was baffled and hurt. He does not deserve that kind of rubbish. Some Pākehā have a notion that everyone from the land of their forebears lived in castles and sat around reading Shakespeare all day, making them direct heirs and guardians to high culture and civilisation. The more likely history is that they're descended from illiterate peasants who left a shithole of a place in the hope of something better on the other side of the world. One of my first Pākehā ancestors to land here was a kid who, with his family, left County Monaghan in Ireland barely a generation after the famine and arrived here in the middle of the Land Wars. He was illiterate and spoke Gaelic. Within one generation, he and his sons owned several farms on confiscated land. Their something better came at someone else's expense. In his day, Shakespeare was entertainment mainly for the illiterate lower classes; his works didn't become canonised and revered as a high point in English literature until some time after his death. Only then did they become objects of status for upper-class snobs (and colonial wannabes). One of the strengths of the English language is that it's a mongrel of a thing. It's a mix of influences, including Anglo-Saxon, Old Norse, Celtic, Latin, French and German. Shakespeare ripped off narratives and characters and locations from other countries' histories all the time, including Italy and Denmark. Did the Italians tell him to cease and desist because he was sullying their high culture with lowbrow productions? Like all great literature, Shakespeare transcends his own time and place because he's dramatising the human condition, which is why his work has been produced in so many different ways. Leonardo DiCaprio featured in a version of Romeo and Juliet set amid a mob feud in a stylised Los Angeles. Do those who bitched at Bill Tito object to that? In 2012, the recreated Globe Theatre in London staged 37 performances of 37 Shakespeare plays by 37 theatre groups from around the world. One of those groups was Māori, Ngākau Toa, featuring Rawiri Paratene, one of our country's finest actors and a lover of Shakespeare. The costuming, language and performance were totally Māori and totally Shakespeare, and the Shakespeare aficionados viewing it were completely blown away by the intensity. Does that offend the sensibilities of ZB listeners? I reckon Old Will would be chuffed to be referred to as a kaumātua. And I also think Old Will would thank Old Bill Tito as a kaumātua and rangatira of his craft for preserving his works in physical form so lovingly.
NZ Herald
3 hours ago
- NZ Herald
The great divide: Large cohorts of Māori, Pacific and poorer students more than a year behind in maths and writing
'It's heartbreaking,' said Teachers' Institute academic director Dr Nina Hood. 'The only small mercy is that the data isn't getting worse.' For the latest national assessments, the average maths results improved slightly compared with 2023 across each of Years 3, 6 and 8. The increase was so small, however, that it represented no statistically significant change. There has also been little movement in national maths assessment results since 2013. The average writing achievement results for 2024 were similar to a comparable assessment in 2019. The gender, ethnicity and rich-poor divide A deeper dive into the numbers reveals: 68% of Year 8 girls are more than a year behind in maths, compared with 57% for Year 8 boys of Year 8 girls are more than a year behind in maths, compared with for Year 8 boys The roles are reversed for writing, with 69% of Year 8 boys more than a year behind compared with 52% of Year 8 girls of Year 8 boys more than a year behind compared with of Year 8 girls The gap between Māori and non-Māori is pronounced for maths, with 10% of Māori at curriculum level in Year 8 (compared with 27% for non-Māori). of Māori at curriculum level in Year 8 (compared with for non-Māori). The results are poorer for Year 8 Pacific students, with 6% at curriculum level for maths compared with 25% for non-Pacific students. At Year 3, 4% of Pacific students are meeting curriculum expectations. at curriculum level for maths compared with for non-Pacific students. At Year 3, of Pacific students are meeting curriculum expectations. For writing, Year 8 Pacific students performed slightly better than non-Pacific students. Year 8 students with few socio-economic barriers were more likely to be where they should be for maths ( 36% ), compared with those facing moderate barriers ( 18% ) or more barriers ( 8% ). ), compared with those facing moderate barriers ( ) or more barriers ( ). The gap for writing was smaller. While 21% of Year 8 students facing greater socio-economic challenges were at curriculum level, this was a higher proportion than those facing moderate barriers (19%) 'These results remind us of the ongoing equity challenge in education, with clear differences in achievement across socioeconomic context and ethnicity,' said Curriculum Insights project lead Dr Jenny Ward. When it came to writing, the achievement gap shrank between Pacific and non-Pacific students as they moved from Year 3 to 6 to 8. This indicates signs of progress through their school years but this was not mirrored for mathematics. Some caution needs to be taken with the data, as the assessments were done in Term 4 last year, when the new curricula and pedagogical approach for maths, reading and writing were yet to be mandatory. Teachers' Institute academic director Dr Nina Hood says some of the results from the 2024 national assessment data are 'heartbreaking'. Photo / Supplied Hood said these reforms represent a 'glimmer of hope'. 'Over time, if we make sure that everyday teaching is really strong, we are going to see shifts in terms of the student data. 'But we also know there are a number of children, as this data clearly shows, who are a long way behind. In reality, the only way they're going to catch up is really targeted, additional support.' Yesterday, Education Minister Erica Stanford announced the Make It Write campaign to support 120,000 Year 6-8 students who are below expected writing levels, and who won't have the benefit of structured literacy from Year 1. 'Teachers will gain the skills needed to work with small groups of students who need targeted support, using structured, evidence-based approaches,' she said. This follows a similar plan to attempt to improve maths learning. Education Minister Erica Stanford at Brooklyn School in Wellington on Tuesday announcing plans to improve students' writing abilities. Photo / Mark Mitchell The Government remains a long way from achieving its public service target of 80% of Year 8 students at or above curriculum level in reading, writing and maths by December 2030. This data means the most recent results are 23% for maths, 24% for writing and 47% for reading. Whether these reforms, among others such as a complete replacement of the NCEA system, make a difference remains to be seen, especially for those who are currently being left behind. What our students can and can't do According to the summary report, the results show many Year 3 students struggle with simple maths equations, Year 6 students with adding fractions, and Year 8 students with equations combining multiplication and subtraction. Summary of strengths and weakness in maths assessment. Sample Year 3 questions: Put these numbers in order from smallest to largest: 183, 14, 243, 43, 127 There are 24 paddlers at a waka ama. There are six people in each waka. How many waka are there? Which set of shapes repeat to make the pattern? Sample Year 3 maths question Sample Year 6 questions: There are 18 trays of kiwifruit. Each tray has about 24 kiwifruit in it. About how many kiwifruit are there? Max rode 5.8km on Friday and 6.5km on Saturday. How many km did he ride in total? Sample Year 8 questions: Mere is planning a hāngī for 40 people. She needs eight kūmara for every 10 people. How many kūmara does she need in total? What is 4 x 8 - 6 ÷ 3? What is the perimeter of this shape? Sample Year 8 maths question The following is a typical example, adapted from real students' work, of writing for the Year 3 assessment: Year 3 writing sample adapted from real student work Derek Cheng is a senior journalist who started at the Herald in 2004. He has worked several stints in the press gallery team and is a former deputy political editor.
Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Otago Daily Times
‘Leaks', 'mould' and sewage: Christchurch school kids still waiting for permanent site
Rangimarie Parata-Takurua and pononga (students) harvesting food in the māra kai (garden for food) at Te Pā o Rākaihautū. Left to right: Kade Te Whata-Kururangi, Deegan McGarr, Hineterā Davis, Rangimarie, Wahawaha Winiata, Celia Williams and Hawaiki Jones-Fiso. Photo: Phil Tumataroa When you step through the gates at Te Pā o Rākaihautū, you can feel the manaakitanga from its people wrap around you like a korowai. Every morning, students and their whānau from the Christchurch-based school are welcomed in with a big 'kia ora' from kaiako. "You'll hear waiata playing in the background. You'll hear genuine laughter and happiness to be there," said kaiurungi and principal Terina Tahau. Inside, along the corridors, sepia-toned portraits of students dressed in feather kākahu (cloaks) and adorned with mataora and moko kauwae (Māori facial tattoos) line the walls - on one side photos show students on their first day of school, the other side displaying graduates - it serves as motivation for whānau Māori, many of whom haven't felt engaged or served by traditional Western systems of education. But that wairua, or spirit, you feel in the school is a stark contrast to the actual temperatures inside. The almost 70-year-old repurposed buildings are doing their best to keep the bitter cold out. Still, the students' breaths are visible as they giggle and chatter to each other on their way to class. Signs of water damage are visible in one classroom, with parts of the wall rotting away and the ceiling paint peeling. Te Pā o Rākaihautū is the South Island's first kura-ā-iwi, a state school mandated by local hapū or iwi. It was established as a 'Designated Character' school in 2014, and is a unique 21st-century pā wānanga (learning village). But it never received a permanent site or new school buildings. Instead, it has been operating out of a temporary site, which leaders say is causing health and safety problems. School leadership feels it has been battling against institutional racism and inequity from the Ministry of Education for more than a decade. RNZ examines the school's efforts to secure a permanent site and sufficient resources, despite its success in Māori-medium education. Ministry of Education chief executive for school property Jerome Sheppard has acknowledged the school's concerns and said it was working with them to ensure that all students and staff have access to safe, warm and dry facilities. A long and winding road Te Pā o Rākaihautū originated from a group of friends gathering in an Irish pub. Brought together by their shared love of waiata Māori, they established what is now a well-known South Island-based Kapa Haka rōpū, Te Ahikaaroa. But when there was a 'baby boom' in the group, the education options catering specifically to Māori were few and far between. Te Pā founder and now chairperson Rangimarie Parata-Takurua said they started asking each other: "What is the environment we need to create for our kids to not just endure education, but really enjoy it and thrive?" In the process, they thought back to their own experiences of the education system and when they were most engaged in learning. "Inevitably it wasn't when we were sitting in a classroom or sitting in assembly … It was when we were back at our own marae, when we were surrounded by people that loved us, that fed us, that we did things with them that mattered to us. "That was the beginning of Te Pā," she said. The school's founders first applied to open the pā in the aftermath of the 2011 earthquakes in Christchurch, but it was not until three years later that the government approved the establishment of Te Pā o Rākaihautū as a year 1-13 co-education school in Christchurch, opening in 2015. The approval came without a business case or property budget attached, and Te Pā was assigned a temporary site at Richmond Primary School, a school that had previously closed down due to earthquake damage. Due to rapid roll growth and the site's unsuitability, the school moved to another temporary site the same year it opened, this time to the previously closed-down Linwood Intermediate School. Signs of water damage were visible in one of the classrooms. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon Since 2015, the old repurposed buildings in Linwood have had numerous health and safety issues. According to principal Terina Tahau, she and the property manager meet every morning at 7am to walk around the pā, identifying any new leaks, broken pipes, or other issues. One of the last major incidents involved sewage flooding on a Sunday. "We had to get that cleaned up because we got kids coming on Monday, and the last thing they need to even think is that that's okay, because it's not. "We spend many a weekend here because something's popped up." The buildings are also cold. "We know we have to keep our heat pumps on overnight because these facilities freeze, and if we don't have those heat pumps on 24/7 from Monday to Friday, then we're letting our pononga (students) come into something that's not suitable," Tahau said. An independent workplace health and safety report - commissioned by the school's board in May - outlines what it says are "critical issues" that require "immediate and comprehensive action". The report was done by Health and Safety at Work NZ, a Christchurch-based company that offers certifications, audits, investigations and training. Some of the findings included "rotting window frames and sills" throughout classrooms, "significant ongoing leaks" over the kitchen area where school meals are prepared, and "widespread water damage to internal walls and ceilings, with visible mould growth in certain areas". It also noted that evidence had emerged of health deterioration among staff and students, including "increased asthma symptoms reported among staff. Breathing difficulties and respiratory illness reported in students not previously affected". "The findings from the 2025 inspection confirm that Te Pā o Rākaihautū continues to pose significant health and safety risks to its occupants. Despite partial repairs, the buildings remain cold, damp and in disrepair compromising the wellbeing of staff, students, and visitors." Additionally, successive reports done by the Education Review Office (ERO) in 2017, 2021 and 2025 all highlighted the need for a permanent site and new buildings. According to the most recent draft report by ERO, provided to RNZ by the school, securing a permanent site and building that "reflects the unique kaupapa of Te Pā o Rākaihautū" is "required". "The pā has operated out of a temporary site for 10 years that compromises the health and safety of pononga and hinders realising the strategic goals of whānau." A draft ERO report says the buildings "need replacing". Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon The 2025 ERO report also said that the board, Te Tautarinui o Matariki, spends a "disproportionate amount of time and resources managing the ongoing aged property related issues". "The pā continues to operate from a temporary site after 10 years. Again, ERO supports the need for Te Pā to establish their permanent pā site to realise their aspirations and full potential. "The buildings are well past their use by date and need replacing," the ERO report said. ERO did note that students are emotionally safe and healthy. International and local successes The school has demonstrated strong academic results. The draft 2025 ERO report stated that students are achieving above national averages across all levels of NCEA. "We can show results that the ministry has been unable to achieve in mainstream schooling since forever," said Parata-Takarua. Part of their success story can be attributed to their kai programme, Parata-Takurua said. Each day at school, all of the students, from year 1 to 13, receive two full meals. "We were able to install commercial kitchens straight away, and we feed our kids breakfast and lunch." Over the years, they have even built gardens and grown food themselves to supply the kitchen, something the students are actively involved with. Half of the back field is now gardens, alongside 30 hectares they are leasing in the red zone, near the school. With the first crop expected in the next season, Parata-Takurua said the initiative helps students reconnect with the whenua and understand composting processes. The school was recognised internationally, winning the Zayed Sustainability Prize in the Global High Schools East Asia and Pacific category. Returning home In May of 2023, a new site was identified near Te Waipapa, Diamond Harbour, at the base of Te Ahupātiki Eight hectares of ancestral whenua, the same location where the school's namesake, Ngāi Tahu ancestor Rākaihautū, buried his famous kō (digging tool). The new site would allow the school to return home. The land had been owned by the local council since 1913, and in 2024, Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke went through the process of buying it, which was unanimously agreed to by the council. If the proposal is approved by the Ministry of Education, the school hopes to run a dual-site model, a city-site, and the Diamond Harbour site. Under the proposal, the hapū would lease the land back to the Ministry for Education. But the school's leadership is not holding out hope, as out of the 10 options presented by the Ministry, Parata-Takurua said nine focused solely on fixing up the current buildings. "The current buildings being a temporary site that we never ever envisaged that would be the permanent home for our pā wananga. It completely ignored all the work we'd done on the site in Diamond Harbour." In a statement, Jerome Sheppard from the Ministry of Education acknowledged the concerns raised by Te Pā o Rākaihautū. "We have been working with them to ensure that all students and staff have access to safe, warm and dry facilities. That is why we continue to work with Te Pā o Rākaihautū to finalise a scope that will allow for investment in the redevelopment of the existing site, which will include a mixture of new and existing buildings to support up to 350 students." Sheppard said that many schools throughout New Zealand operate from ageing building stock. "These buildings can and are being successfully maintained and upgraded to support learning, and we are confident we can achieve the same with the property for Te Pā o Rākaihautū. "We continue to work closely with Te Pā, within the current fiscal environment, to make sure their provision reflects the importance of Kaupapa Māori Education," Sheppard said. Parata-Takurua said treatment of Te Pā feels like racism to her. "I've yet to be persuaded that it's something else." She said she feels there are "elements of ignorance and arrogance" from the ministry, leading to the dismissal of Māori-medium education's proven success. The Ministry of Education did not wish to respond to the school's comments regarding perceived racism, ignorance, or arrogance within the ministry when contacted by RNZ. "I'd like to invite people to come and spend a couple of days in our shoes and see what that 'privilege' looks like. That privilege looks like this. We're still in old broken buildings, and now we're being pushed down a path of 'accept this or it could be nothing." According to the Ministry of Education, Budget 25 allocated $544 million for growth (including roll growth, new schools, and learning support roll growth), of which $50m is earmarked for Māori Medium Education/Kaupapa Māori Education. Kura make up approximately 6 percent of schools nationwide. The land leased in the red zone was contaminated from previous housing, with old piping and waste underneath. Now, Te Pā has built up enough compost on the surface to start growing food on one hectare. Photo: Phil Tumataroa Parata-Takurua said it means only one or two kura might get lucky with new builds each year, while others must "scrape it out of wherever they can find some loose change". The property challenges Te Pā is facing are felt by the tamariki and their whānau too. Kay-Lee Jones is a māmā of three children who attend or have attended Te Pā. She feels the whole situation is "inequitable". "All around Ōtautahi, especially post-earthquakes, we had all these very fancy schools being established here, there, and everywhere, and our kids see this, and it's disheartening." She said she worries about the well-being of the staff and students. "Our kids, they don't deserve this." Jones shares the example of her son Wi, who was around nine years old when discussions about the need for new school buildings first started. Now at 17 and about to graduate, he will never see any improved facilities. She worries the same might happen with her nine-year-old child as well. In 2013, the government announced the Christchurch School Rebuild (CSR) programme, with the aim to replace or repair 115 earthquake damaged schools in Christchurch over the following 10 years. As of March this year, 100 schools have been completed, 11 schools are under construction, and three schools are in the planning and design stages. As Te Pā o Rākaihautū was not established until 2014, its redevelopment or rebuild is not within the scope of the CSR programme, according to the Ministry of Education. The property challenges Te Pā is facing are felt by the tamariki and their whānau too. Photo: Phil Tumataroa Tahau said the health and safety challenges have been more than frustrating. "We already know what works. We're acknowledged for it, so get out of the way. "Get on the waka or get out of the way. Because, pono katoa mātou ki tō mātou kaupapa (We are all true to our cause)." Late last week, Parata-Takarua said the school had received another letter from the ministry, which reconfirmed the funding for the "redevelopment" of their current site in Linwood, instead of a custom build at a new site. Parata-Takurua said it was now left with a take-it-or-leave-it ultimatum and had engaged its lawyers. "For more than a decade, our children have been left in unsafe, cold, damp buildings while 100 other Christchurch schools were rebuilt around us. The ministry's legal responsibilities extend well beyond 'warm, safe and dry'." A spokesperson for Education Minister Erica Standford said she would not be commenting as it was an operational matter for the ministry.
