The lesson from the Coldplay concert affair
Whanganui-based Nicky Rennie returned to her home town in 2018 while celebrating three decades in broadcasting. She has written a column for the Whanganui Chronicle since 2021.
Learn more
There is a wonderful word in the English language called schadenfreude.
It's actually a combination of two German words. Harm is Schaden and Joy is freude.
Essentially, it is experiencing joy at the suffering of others.
The general consensus is that this joy isn't experienced when something
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NZ Herald
2 days ago
- NZ Herald
The lesson from the Coldplay concert affair
Opinion by Nicky Rennie Whanganui-based Nicky Rennie returned to her home town in 2018 while celebrating three decades in broadcasting. She has written a column for the Whanganui Chronicle since 2021. Learn more There is a wonderful word in the English language called schadenfreude. It's actually a combination of two German words. Harm is Schaden and Joy is freude. Essentially, it is experiencing joy at the suffering of others. The general consensus is that this joy isn't experienced when something
NZ Herald
5 days ago
- NZ Herald
Education Minister cut Māori words from future junior books, documents reveal
The ministry's report said: 'Under this option, we would not include kupu Māori in all phases of the RtRPP scope and sequence for any future books. The 13 RtRPP books currently in development do not contain any kupu Māori, apart from character names.' It was not clear in the paper whether the books would be reprinted. 'As noted above, the RtRPP resources are expected to have a lifespan in schools of approximately 10 years, so it would take several years for the books containing kupu Māori that are currently in circulation to be replaced in practice.' The document showed Stanford also instructed the ministry to develop a teaching sequence in the English curriculum to help teachers prepare children to read Māori words from their second year at school. Stanford told RNZ that would stop teaching children in mainstream classrooms to pronounce and read Māori from being 'left to chance'. The ministry's document said currently from Year 4, Māori words were included in the curriculum with increasing frequency and complexity. Stanford told RNZ she considered rewriting the 27 books that contained Māori words to retain only the proper nouns in Māori, but later decided against it. 'These are very early readers that teach children to learn to read and there are already 'heart' words in there that children have to memorise in English and if there are some te reo words in there as well, then that's okay and we'll leave them as they are,' she said. She described the decision as the middle position between conflicting advice. The minister's October decision included reprinting one of the books, 'At the Marae', as a big book but not as a 'reader' for children to take home – something that angered many teachers and principals in the past week. The document showed Stanford raised the issue after 'experts in structured literacy approaches' told her that including two different languages in the books could confuse learners and make it harder for them to master English phonetics. The ministry's paper said evidence about that was mixed but there was a case to consider the amount of Māori words in books for children learning to read. Literacy experts told RNZ this week Māori words were part of everyday New Zealand English and did not present problems for beginning readers because their spelling was regular and their vowel sounds matched some of the English vowels. The document said 26 of the 75 Ready to Read books had up to three Māori words and a 27th, At the Marae, had six Māori words. A handwritten note on the document showed the minister wanted te reo Māori introduced when children stopped using 'decodable' books like the Ready to Read series, usually at the end of their first year at school or early in their second year. 'I want to include in the NZC (English) a section on Te Reo vowel sounds and pronunciation to ready students for reading te reo words in school journals as previously discussed,' she wrote. Stanford also noted that: 'Interestingly – I asked kura leaders if they would accept English words in te reo Māori decodable books and they said no. So it would be consistent to keep one language only in very early Year 1 decodable books, except for names.' The ministry's paper said the Ready to Read series was designed to teach the reading of English 'and the sound-letter correspondences in English'. 'Our advice to schools is to teach kupu Māori in RtRPP books as 'told' words. The foundational skill of phonic decoding within the resources is based on the English language and students are not expected to decode the kupu Māori,' it said. The paper warned the options could result in pushback from schools. 'If we discontinue the use of kupu Māori (apart from character names) in RtRPP books, there may be a negative response and media attention. [REDACTED] In particular, recalling existing books has the potential to generate pushback.' The minister wrote in response: 'It's only in Year 1 decodable books that teach English and it would align with the approach taken in te reo decodables. Te Reo would be introduced immediately after the use of decodable stops which is typically end of Year 1 early Year 2 where students move on to journals.'
Scoop
6 days ago
- Scoop
Certified And Cheeky: Meet Ronnie, Auckland Council's Newest Conservation Canine
Press Release – Auckland Council This two-year-old hire is a rowdy teenager with a full-time job, and he's fully vetted to protect Hauraki Gulf's precious pest-free islands from unwanted intruders. Recently graduated with full certification from the Conservation Dog Programme, Ronnie has officially proven he has what it takes to sniff out rats – and mice and only rats and mice – in Auckland's most sensitive native environments. After passing rigorous training with the national programme, Ronnie is trusted to work on pest-free islands alongside our native species. This canine crusader is now the real deal. Auckland Council's Biosecurity Advisor and handler Rochelle says Ronnie is like a cheeky teenager with a job he happens to be excellent at. 'He's playful, energetic, and sometimes tries to test the rules, but when it's time to work, he's laser focused. He's trained hard for this, and he's earned it.' Born on Great Barrier Island, Ronnie is the son of conservation royalty. His mum, Juno, is a smooth-coated fox terrier ratter, and his dad, Tane, a scruffy Waiheke-based border terrier, bred for stoat detection. Ronnie's sleek black coat with a splash of grey on his chin and paws makes him stand out, a bit of a mystery, but unmistakably handsome. He came into Rochelle's care at 16 months and has since lived a very social life with his mentor and canine flat mates: Rosie the seasoned 8-year-old terrier cross rat detector (whom Ronnie will eventually succeed), and Aria the retired airport beagle who, along with Rochelle's three teenage sons, keep Ronnie's feet somewhat on the ground. A typical day for Ronnie starts with tail wags and excitement as he heads to work with Rochelle. Whether it's inspecting vehicles and gear at ferry terminals destined for Waiheke, Aotea / Great Barrier or patrolling Sandspit for visitors heading to Kawau Island, Ronnie's nose is hard at work. His mission? To stop stowaway rodents from sneaking onto these ecologically sensitive islands. Other days are spent on-island, conducting routine checks or responding to urgent incursions. 'Ronnie's still young, but he's already proven his worth,' says Rochelle. 'His first alert on a Great Barrier Island vehicle check was rat remains on a lawnmower. This sparked a conversation with the boat's owner and helped educate them about biosecurity risks. That's a win in our book.' Like most teens, Ronnie's still figuring some things out: he loves water but can't swim properly (yet), he's obsessed with his ball, less so with rainy weather, he's curious, sociable, and if left alone with a soft toy or bed, is known to deconstruct it with artistic flair. 'He's definitely keeping me on my toes,' laughs Rochelle. 'But he learns fast, and he loves one-on-one time. He's always ready for an early start, even if it is the worst weather.' Earlier this year, Ronnie flew in a helicopter for the first time during an urgent deployment to Great Mercury Island / Ahuahu for a suspected mouse incursion. 'He took it all in stride,' Rochelle says. 'It was a great milestone for both of us.' As Auckland Council and its partners continue their work to protect and restore our island ecosystems, dogs like Ronnie play a critical role. They're fast, precise, and effective, natural-born conservationists in fur coats. Auckland Council's Pathways team manager Liz Brooks says these dogs are the ultimate weapon in the war against keeping pests off islands. 'Their noses are always on, and they have incredible detection abilities. Nothing can match their clever and sharply honed abilities to detect a pest. 'There is no other way we could check a load of gear, or even a house, going to Great Barrier, for example, without pulling it apart. Ronnie lets us speedily check and give people the green light to go, adds Ms Brooks.' Ronnie might still be growing into his paws, but there's no doubt: this young pup is already making a big difference. And he's just getting started.
