Letters to the Editor: English, Māori and the DCC
Dunedin City Council. PHOTO: GERARD O'BRIEN
Today's Letters to the Editor from readers cover topics including the scope of the new English curriculum, the "disgraceful behaviour" of Te Pāti Māori, and matters for the DCC.
Curriculum three bags full of the proverbial
The report "Scope of new English curriculum scary" (ODT 14.6.25) is itself scary.
The first item to spring to mind is grammar. "The explicit teaching of grammar we think is really useful [gosh], but we are concerned that we don't have time to upskill our teachers in that space."
We have, it seems, teachers of a language who lack proficiency in the grammar of that language.
I can attest to this, having spent some years dealing with university students who didn't know what a part of speech was, who couldn't parse a sentence and certainly couldn't correct a mistake because they had no clue about what was wrong.
You can't fix a machine if you don't know how it works, though knowing that 16-year-olds have a grasp of the Oxford comma is a comfort.
Then there is the literature. "The insistence on Shakespeare and a 19th century work for senior students seemed Eurocentric and the absence of any reference to the Treaty of Waitangi was odd."
Firstly, there appears to be a belief that, culturally at least, the world ends somewhere about the low-tide mark. Still, if the National Library can dispose of thousands of books because they are not NZ-focused or read very often, one can understand a degree of myopia in lesser mortals.
Secondly, of the various periods of English literature since the 15th century, the dramatic literature of the Elizabethan-Jacobean period and the prose of the post-Romantic have been perhaps the most universally influential of any.
For good or ill they reflect the philosophical, social and political forces that shape our lives today.
To deprive intelligent teenagers of the experience because they don't on the face of it tell "our stories" is irresponsible.
Thirdly, and here I put my head on the block, what on earth does the Treaty of Waitangi have to do with all this?
Harry Love
North East Valley
It's a disgrace
There has been much criticism of the so-called "disgraceful behaviour" of the three Te Pāti Māori politicians for their haka in Parliament.
Apparently, the correct behaviour Māori should adopt, when again faced with the threat of losing mana they have gained in recent years, is to accept their fate with quiet resignation.
The same scenario is being played out in Israel/Palestine where the outraged Israeli colonialists are taking thousands of Palestinian lives in retaliation for the surprise October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas in response to decades of severe oppression.
Disruption in our Parliament is regrettable but the dominant colonialist ruling parties of this country need to take a long hard look at how they have contributed to the strong push back reaction by Te Pāti Māori.
Also, some reflection by these ruling politicians themselves on their own questionable behaviour would not go amiss. For example, Shane Jones' labelling of senior members of the judiciary as communists would be an excellent place to start.
Also, Chris Bishop's recent outburst at the Aotearoa Music Awards was a revelation of this government's fervent belief in their colonialist superiority.
Jenny McNamara
Gore
Real cause of mayhem
Gerrard Eckhoff is at it again (Letters 7.6.25). With regard to the current massacre still going on in Palestine and the cause for this can he please read and contemplate the letters of the Otago Staff for Palestine group and Sam Bosshard (ODT 26.5.25), and Phillipa Jamieson (28.5.25) re the real cause of the mayhem in Palestine.
Karl and Leoni Schmidt
Helensburgh
Council should only consider relevant matters
Last week the ODT reported dissent between the mayor and councillors regarding the appropriate consultation on the city's next "kill some car parks without due regard to affected businesses" project. I believe staff are to produce yet another report.
In Saturday's paper Cr Garey is reportedly going to urge an elected committee of council to support action against Israel.
No four-month consultation is proposed with all the various experts and affiliations with different points of view.
To allow equal and unemotional decision making would require senior staff to perhaps start a separate department to monitor all the world's troubles — Gaza, Israel, Ukraine, India, US ad infinitum
Don't forget the lowly ratepayer who has to pay for said research which will neither change nor solve anything.
I believe Dunedin City councillors' first and main priority should be to combine their skills and concentrate on things that they were elected to properly research and influence such as pipes, paving, playgrounds, and relevant community infrastructure.
They must work together to limit our indebtedness and continuing rates increases.
Peter Ashcroft
Mosgiel
Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: editor@odt.co.nz
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