20 Jun 2018

Understanding a shared past

From The House , 6:55 pm on 20 June 2018

The Maori Affairs Committee has been told it's important for people to learn New Zealand's colonial history whether they're a citizen or visiting.

 

The Maori Affairs Select Committee Room at Parliament. 23 Feb 2018

The Maori Affairs Committee room at Parliament. Photo: VNP / Daniela Maoate-Cox

 

Often referred to as “Parliament’s workhorse” select committees are groups of MPs who meet to examine legislation, hear from the public, consider petitions, hold inquiries or in this case, receive a briefing on an issue related to their subject area.

 

The chair of the New Zealand History Teachers’ Association Graeme Ball briefed the Maori Affairs Committee on the teaching of New Zealand’s colonial history in schools.

 

He said it's unclear how much of New Zealand's history is being taught in classrooms.

 

"Whether we're born here or whether we're new New Zealanders coming to New Zealand, it's important that we have an understanding of our shared past," he told the committee.

 

"Because there are many wise words by people throughout the ages who have talked of the value of knowing ones own history but there's no certainty that any of that is being taught, or taught well, in our schools."

 

Chair of the New Zealand History Teachers' Association Graeme Ball speaks to the Maori Affairs Select Committee about teaching New Zealand's colonial history in schools.

Chair of the New Zealand History Teachers' Association Graeme Ball speaks to the Maori Affairs Select Committee about teaching New Zealand's colonial history in schools. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith

 

Mr Ball said the independence teachers have to create their curriculum allows innovative programmes but New Zealand’s own past has been a victim of this autonomy.

 

"One of the key reasons for that is that there's no compulsion to teach history at all" he said.

 

"After social studies which is more general, it's not just history...at the end of year 10 history becomes an option and in many schools they still have many compulsory subjects so the number of options that they have in their time tables is quite limited, in our school it's two."

 

He said changes need to be made to ensure students don't miss out on learning their history.

 

"For those students who are not going to have any further New Zealand history let alone the treaty in their schooling, that's it, as they exit year 10 we've lost any opportunity to share something of our past with the whole cohort."

 

It's typical for whoever is speaking to the committee to be given time at the start to speak freely and outline their main points. Once that's over, and if there's time, the MPs on the committee can ask questions.

 

"Can you explain the idea or teaching colonial history from a Pakeha perspective versus a Maori perspective and how is that blended together or separate?" New Zealand First MP Jenny Marcroft asked.

 

New Zealand First MP Jenny Marcroft on the Maori Affairs Select Committee

New Zealand First MP Jenny Marcroft on the Maori Affairs Select Committee Photo: VNP / Phil Smith

 

Mr Ball said it would involve a couple of things.

 

"Iwi, hapu, would have to have a large input to this and certainly no national narrative, no nationally mandated narrative."

 

National MP Nuk Korako asked if tourism operators should be required to have strong knowledge of New Zealand's history.

 

"We don't have any kind of standard where they actually have gone through a course or a degree that gives them the right then to be an official guide to quote the history," he said. 

 

"Because even if we don't appreciate it here at the moment, we've got so many people from overseas who really do... do you think that's a pathway? If you get involved in the tourism industry you need to know the history, not just colonial but even all the way back."

 

Mr Ball said they had had discussions about historical sights and how difficult they are to find.

 

"It's quite difficult sometimes to find them and then to have knowledge about them," he said. 

 

"So there's an opportunity even thinking about commercial opportunities... again two birds with one stone, people knowing their history and being able to make a dollar off it" he told the Committee. 

 

Briefings give MPs a chance to learn about an issue and may help a committee decide whether to launch an inquiry. but there’s no requirement for a committee report back to the House.