Iona Holsted, Chief Executive and Secretary for Education said in her response on behalf of the Ministry of Education that she does not acknowledge that our NZ education system has systemic racism.
This was later endorsed by Nicholas Pole, Chief Executive and Chief Reviewer of the Education Review Office, in his response on behalf of the Education Review Office.
I may have gotten it wrong. I don't think so, as I was there at the hearing.
Sadly, our media did not pick up on this, and it was not widely shared with us all here in New Zealand.
This is WHY the statement by Iona Holsted that she does not accept we have systemic racism in our education system is significant and damaging
If we do not accept or acknowledge that our education system has systemic racism
Then it will NEVER be addressed
Awareness is the first step to transformational change.
When two of the leaders of our education system fail to acknowledge that we have systemic racism, it helps us to understand WHY systemic racism has been allowed to flourish in our schools.
We do have systemic racism deeply embedded in our NZ education system.
I know as I am Maori.
I faced systemic racism as a child in schools.
I faced systemic racism as a teacher in schools.
Now I know WHY
Now we ALL know WHY
The question I have is:
Now we know
What are we going to do about it?
What are our people going to do about it?
More importantly,
What are our Minister of Education, Chris Hipkins, and Prime Minister, Jacinda Adern, going to do about it?
About the Hearings
The responses of State agencies to the abuse and neglect of children, young people and vulnerable adults will be examined by the Royal Commission of Inquiry in an upcoming public hearing that will run from 15 to 26 August.
During the 10-day State Institutional Response hearing, witnesses from Crown agencies will be questioned on failures by the State to prevent and respond to abuse in State and faith-based care.
Witnesses will include chief executives and other senior people across the following agencies:
- Oranga Tamariki
- Ministry of Social Development
- Ministry of Health
- Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People.
- Ministry of Education
- Education Review Office
- Teaching Council
- Police
- Corrections
- Te Puni Kōkiri
- Ministry for Pacific Peoples
- Children’s Commissioner
- Ombudsman
- Tekawa Mataaho – Public Service Commission
Agencies will be responding to questions around how care systems were monitored; the handling of complaints; the nature and extent of physical, psychological, sexual abuse and neglect; and to what extent their care systems had met the needs of Māori, Pacific and Disabled people and people with mental health conditions.
They will also respond to questions around the implementation of recommendations from previous inquiries and reports, and whether they had met their obligations under te Tiriti o Waitangi.
The Royal Commission will hold a separate Institutional Response hearing for faith-based institutions later this year, with further details to come.
The State Institutional Response public hearing will take place from 15-26 August 2022 at Level 2, 414 Khyber Pass Road, Newmarket, Tāmaki Makaurau. It will be open to the public and live streamed on the Royal Commission’s website.
We continue to encourage all survivors of abuse in care to come forward to the Royal Commission of Inquiry. Our contact centre can be reached on 0800 222 727 during weekday working hours or contact@abuseincare.org.nz. More information can be found at www.abuseincare.org.nz
Schedule for hearings at
Day 1 | Monday 15 August 2022 |
Morning | Opening Statements |
Afternoon | Ministry of Social Development – Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora
|
Day 2 | Tuesday 16 August |
New Zealand Police – Ngā Pirihimana o Aotearoa
| |
Day 3 | Wednesday 17 August |
Ministry of Health – Manatū Hauora
Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People
| |
Day 4 | Thursday 18 August |
9am start Morning | Ministry of Education – Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga
|
Day 5 | Friday 19 August |
9am start Morning | Education Review Office – Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga
|
Afternoon | Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand
|
Days 6, 7, 8 | Monday 22 August - Wednesday 24 August |
9am start | Oranga Tamariki – Ministry for Children
|
Day 9 | Thursday 25 August |
9am start Morning | Department of Corrections – Ara Poutama Aotearoa
|
Afternoon | Office of the Children’s Commissioner – Manaakatia a Tātou Tamariki
|
Day 10 | Friday 26 August |
9am start Morning | Ombudsman New Zealand – Te Tari o te Kaitiaki Mana Tangata
Ministry for Pacific Peoples
Te Puni Kokiri – Ministry of Māori Development
|
Afternoon | Tekawa Mataaho – Public Service Commission
Closing statements |
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