Labour govt 2020-23

[Balance]

I had been addressing your criticism related to Maori in the 1960's and 70's.

However are you implying that the current education system is more geared up to satisfying international students rather than the circumstances and challenges faced by domestic NZ populations?

Not so.

Actually I am pointing to the fact that NZ education has been highly regarded and prized overseas since the 1960s. So much so that international students pay top dollars to get an education here.

Meanwhile, local students (Maori in this instance per our line of discussion currently) seem to prefer other pursuits when free education is so readily and easily available.

Some pursuits - easy jobs (refer importation of Pacific Islanders), sports (they all think they can be the next Lomu) and easy money, often via benefits but sometimes via gangs and via crime.

That’s one reason ( obviously there are other reasons like racial discrimination and deprivation of their cultural heritage) why they are so heavily represented in the wrong stats of health, crime and poverty.

Let’s call a spade a spade instead of dancing around political correctness. Progress and real remedial actions can only be made when the truth is confronted.

When was the last time you heard or read a leader urging Maori to embrace education?

Education, education and education.

Forget about race - it’s all about attitude and the desire to better oneself.

[Balance]

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/electi...CEPXBGLAW762E/

$100m of taxpayers’ funds to fix marae around NZ.

Easy as - no need to use any of the billions of dollars of settlement monies to maintain their marae and all important cultural centre piece - just put the hand out, in exchange for their votes.

What kind of signal is the government sending?

Any wonder some Maori grow up with a welfare grievance mindset?

[westerly]

Appearances matter - always have and will always do.

First impressions matter hugely.

Anyone who thinks otherwise obviously has no idea how the real world operates.

And we now have a foreign minister who looks sloppy because she is obviously overweight and has a tattoo on her face - but everyone overseas dealing with her when she is interacting with them are supposed to look past that because she is Maori?

Point is that Cindy has no idea how the real world operates out there - cloud cuckoo fantasy land.

Give the lady a chance. You maybe surprised.https://www.newsroom.co.nz/podcast-c...4fbc6-97605709

westerly

[fungus pudding]

Give the lady a chance. You maybe surprised.https://www.newsroom.co.nz/podcast-c...4fbc6-97605709

westerly

I note in that article that she had 'read her papers'. Fantastic.

[Balance]

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/shane-...GVGUQ3GSLYKHQ/

Another perspective on Mahuta.

[Bjauck]

You are right, not much back then. We now have "Whanau classes" where things are taught in maori language and customs and not in line with the mainstream teaching. My wife sometimes teaches in some of these classes and I really fear for the future of many of the kids that are being put through there. Will they be employable and able to find their way in the World ? It is my big fear they are not. Is it possible we are already seeing the result of this lacklustre PC approach to education over the last couple of decades, in the lack of willingness of many young people to work ?
I suspect it is a contributing factor.

The bedrock is to have a connected child with a stable home life. I don't see why children educated in Te Reo as their first language and grounded in Tikanga Maori could not thrive. That is not to say that English classes and other general syllabus subjects should not be an integral part of curricula as well.

Bi-lingual, Poly-lingual and multicultural societies can thrive. Belgium and Switzerland are good examples. The push for Irish Gaelic language education in Ireland has coincided with a general increase in improvement in educational and economic attainment.

Those disconnected from cultural roots and brought up in mono-lingual households may even be disadvantaged?

[iceman]

The bedrock is to have a connected child with a stable home life. I don't see why children educated in Te Reo as their first language and grounded in Tikanga Maori could not thrive. That is not to say that English classes and other general syllabus subjects should not be an integral part of curricula as well.

Bi-lingual, Poly-lingual and multicultural societies can thrive. Belgium and Switzerland are good examples. The push for Irish Gaelic language education in Ireland has coincided with a general increase in improvement in educational and economic attainment.

Those disconnected from cultural roots and brought up in mono-lingual households may even be disadvantaged?

I am all in favour of bi-lingual or multi-lingual education. Grew up in such myself and it has done me well. My concern is not about that, but more the totally out of control behaviour in some of those classes. I leave it at that.

[fungus pudding]

The bedrock is to have a connected child with a stable home life. I don't see why children educated in Te Reo as their first language and grounded in Tikanga Maori could not thrive. That is not to say that English classes and other general syllabus subjects should not be an integral part of curricula as well.

Bi-lingual, Poly-lingual and multicultural societies can thrive. Belgium and Switzerland are good examples. The push for Irish Gaelic language education in Ireland has coincided with a general increase in improvement in educational and economic attainment.

Those disconnected from cultural roots and brought up in mono-lingual households may even be disadvantaged?

As long as their first language of Maori doesn't push their English into a poorly or badly spoken and/or written secondary language, they'll be fine. If it does, they will be heavily disadvantaged throughout their lives.

[Bjauck]

I am all in favour of bi-lingual or multi-lingual education. Grew up in such myself and it has done me well. My concern is not about that, but more the totally out of control behaviour in some of those classes. I leave it at that.

That would certainly be a problem. There needs to be a certain degree of structure and direction.

[moka]

Most off-market threads are like that. Perhaps you could offer your thoughts as to whether you think the Labour Party education policy will help more Maori engage more with education and whether that is desirable?

It would be great to see some constructive discussion around what would help Maori become more engaged in education, health or employment but unfortunately these forums are about criticism in the negative sense of blaming and disapproval. They are not about moving forward and making progress but about holding others back, keeping Maori in their place at the bottom of the hierarchy.

Mahuta was described as “that lazy minister as our foreign affairs minister” and yet most of those who post here are lazy because they don’t make an effort to be constructive, they don’t want to think about and learn what needs to change, they don’t want to be educated, because they think they know best. The status quo advantages them and that is good enough for them.