Postmodern education in New Zealand

Helen Clark was at Hutt  Valley High  School yesterday to launch the new New Zealand school curriculum and with much fanfare did so.

The Dominion Post  reports   

The Treaty of Waitangi - dumped from a draft curriculum just months ago then reinstated after protest - is to become a guiding principle in the way New Zealand children are taught.

It will join reading and writing as core subjects, along with issues such as ecological sustainability and climate change.

They are key parts of a new curriculum launched yesterday in the first complete overhaul since its introduction in 1993. 

Ms Clark's speech contains all the usual platitudes of the secular left

That vision sees young people being confident, well connected, active participants in society, and becoming life long learners. (We all share that vision - Andrei)

To realise that vision, the curriculum is based on clear principles. It supports, for example, high expectations for students, inclusion of all, the acknowledgement and valuing of our nation’s bicultural foundation and our current diversity, and a focus on the big issues of the future.

The curriculum is also underpinned by clear values. Students are encouraged to value excellence; to think critically, creatively, and reflectively; and to value fairness, diversity, participation, sustainability, and integrity.

And all this really is is the religion of secular leftism writ large. Although the ideals of free and independent thought are paid lip service, in reality a lot of this curricular seems to be pure propaganda.

And of course it is easy to see that special interest groups have all had a finger in the pie in developing this document - each one ensuring that their particular agenda is catered for.

Michael Drake has kindly sent  me Carey College's view on the new curriculum.  Alas the points raised in this document will not get a wide airing.  For although we hear a lot of blather about multiculturalism and diversity, there is one cultural heritage  not considered worthy of  too much consideration That is the Judeo-Christian heritage  shared by the majority of New Zealanders. And which underpins our society, even secular leftism itself.

But by a postmodern rewriting of history, that heritage has become an embarrassment.

Comments

[KevOB]

Although we are not a catholic family we will probably enroll our children now in their schools and colleges.

[Ryan Sproull]

I assume capitalist economics will be taught as if capitalism were the only economic system conceivable? The right-wing propaganda is so embedded, you don't even notice it.

How would you want the Christian heritage of New Zealand to be represented in the school curriculum, Andrei?

[Mickmac]

Eng lang, Eng Lit, Maths, Computer Sci, 2nd Language (not necc Maori!) as core.

Applied Maths, Chemistry, Physics, Biology,History, Geography, Economics, Sociology, Tech, Art,

Ohh and loads of religious indoctrination, tons of it the more the merrier.

I forgot we've already got that in feminazi atheism and evolution.

[Ryan Sproull]

Haha. "Feminazi". Cos of how Nazis murdered six million people, and how feminists... wear... pants. Like Nazis did. Pants.

[peter]

Andrei

The new curriculum attracted 80 per cent support from those who submitted.

Of course taxpayer-funded education will always be secular. Take that as a given.

Your link to Michael Drake is to his school website. HIS document is propaganda - trying to scare the pants of uninformed parents and get them into his tiny tiny Christian school. [My direct experience with that school and an upset parent leaves me far from convinced about its merits]

Andrei - what is the alternative to multi-culturalism and diversity.

Come on, be brave and say it. The answer is mono-culturalism and tunnel vision!!

What would your curriculum look like?

[AcidComments]

"The Treaty of Waitangi - dumped from a draft curriculum just months ago then reinstated after protest - is to become a guiding principle in the way New Zealand children are taught.

It will join reading and writing as core subjects, along with issues such as ecological sustainability and climate change."

Feel good garbage with no educational value what so ever, apart from the reading and writing. No wonder we're falling behind the rest of the World and if you want a good job in the real World or qualifications aren't excepted!

That's why some training institutes only teach Cambridge and Oxford style qualifications.

Hey in the 70s and early 80s we had plenty of Maori culture rammed downed our throats at school. It's been overly catered for in the education system.

It's great how Maori Gods Myths and legends are freely taught in the education system along with evolution and other dubious theories, but there's always such alot of moaning and groaning when it comes to the Bible and Christianity!

[Chuck Bird]

The Honorable Chris the Sodomite Carter is not in the job five minutes and we hear how kids are going to be taught the merits of diversity.

I have another word for that – recruiting.

[AcidComments]

"The Honorable Chris the Sodomite Carter is not in the job five minutes and we hear how kids are going to be taught the merits of diversity."

Yeah we'll end up like the US state of Californication.

[peter]

Acid Comments said:

"It's great how Maori Gods Myths and legends are freely taught in the education system along with evolution and other dubious theories, but there's always such alot of moaning and groaning when it comes to the Bible and Christianity!"

Also Acid Comments denigrates Chris Carter before he has had more than a few days in his new job. The presence of diversity in the new curriculum goes back at least 2 years - not 2 weeks!!

Acid Comments - how do you describe Chris Finlayson of the National Party? In a similar way to Chris Carter. They both seem like excellent members of parliament to me.

The teaching of Bible myths and legends alongside Maori myths and legends could be laudable - the problem is that Christians won't admit that their myths and legends are myths and legends!!!

[Ryan Sproull]

It's great how Maori Gods Myths and legends are freely taught in the education system along with evolution and other dubious theories, but there's always such alot of moaning and groaning when it comes to the Bible and Christianity!

Would you like Christianity to be taught in schools like Maori myths and legends are? As interesting but completely unfactual fictions?

There would be no moaning if Noah and his ark were placed alongside Maui slowing down the sun with ropes and hooks?

I think you have a severely warped idea of who the moaners and groaners are in our society. Have you seen the blog you're posting on, and its commenters?

[AcidComments]

"I think you have a severely warped idea of who the moaners and groaners are in our society. Have you seen the blog you're posting on, and its commenters?"

One thing you overlook.

There's various names of Kings, Civilizations and Ancient Cities mentioned in the Bible, which were once considered just myths and lengends by scholars etc but are known have actually existed!

[Ryan Sproull]

The North Island actually exists, Acid. Is it therefore a giant fish that Maui caught with his grandmother's magical jawbone?

No one is preventing students from being taught ancient history with reference to Christian scriptures as a source of information. However, public schools are not allowed to...

* teach that the Christian god exists.
* teach that Tane exists.
* teach that Maui died squeezed between the thighs of Death.
* teach that Jesus was God.
* teach that Muhammad spoke to Allah.
* teach that the Buddha was born by leaping from his mother's side.
* teach that Odin exists and plucked out an eye in exchange for great wisdom.

Those kinds of things. They can't teach those sorts of things. Keep in mind: those are all the same sorts of things.

[KevOB]

We will just have to challenge our schools more about the validity of what they are teaching, even in the infant rooms. Maori is useless, the language has reinvented itself in the last twenty years. There will never be enough native users of it to teach it.
Maori spirituality is worse: it contravenes our beliefs and is harmful. If our Christian teachings are to excluded from schools in the name of tolerance other false teaching must be too.

[Ryan Sproull]

Kev, I don't know of any public schools that are teaching that Maori gods and taniwha actually exist. Perhaps kohanga reo schools, but not the ones we're talking about in this thread.

If they are teaching anything about gods as facts, then yes, such teaching should be excluded.

[Danyl Mclauchlan]

There's various names of Kings, Civilizations and Ancient Cities mentioned in the Bible, which were once considered just myths and lengends by scholars etc but are known have actually existed!

One can say exactly the same thing about the Iliad - does that mean schoolchildren should be taught about Hera and Poseiden?

[Psycho Milt]

Generalisations are usually counter-productive. This secular leftist would prefer the schools to teach kids to read, write and handle basic maths rather than being saddled with a new curriculum every few years to reflect current fads.

[dad4justice]

Well said psycho, for a milter on acid .

I appalled at the indoctrination of vulnerable children by twisted socialist secular snakes !

You reap what you sow you thicko dumb arse kiwi tog tuckers !!

[KevOB]

Ryan,

I checked out the infant room at my young daughters school. The posters on the wall of Maori Spirits, were required by the ¨Department¨ according to her teacher. Worse, she knew that they had a spiritual atmosphere attached to them but felt compelled to keep them.

[peter]

KevOB

You say:

"I checked out the infant room at my young daughters school. The posters on the wall of Maori Spirits, were required by the ¨Department¨ according to her teacher. Worse, she knew that they had a spiritual atmosphere attached to them but felt compelled to keep them."

Could this teacher then indicate what proportion of state schools I would expect to find displaying these posters?

Kev this is complete rubbish. There is no Department - although there might be in the private sector. What kind of school is this?

Sounds like a weird teacher at a weird school.

[dad4justice]

Peter how many children do you have ?????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!