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Nau mai, haere mai.
New Zealand’s English curriculum is about to undergo its second revision in as many years. But will the return to traditional texts such as Shakespeare and Chaucer really be accessible to students in the 21st century?
That is the question many teachers and academics are asking after RNZ revealed the government’s plans to create recommended reading lists for high school English classes.
As author Claudia Rozas writes in this week’s lead story, this curriculum rewrite needs to examine what we want New Zealand students to gain from their English studies. It is not enough to simply prescribe a list of texts. The authors of New Zealand’s new curriculum also need to ensure students are reading works that are accessible and relevant.
“English’s long history is more nuanced than a binary traditional versus progressive description,” Rozas writes. “Now is a good time to clarify which models of English are most desirable to New Zealand as a country, and why.”
You might also be interested in this story about the potentially alarming consequences for New Zealand of disruptions to the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation caused by global heating. It seems to have happened in the past, and could do so again in the future.
As with this piece, our ongoing expert analysis of climate change aims to provide reliable information on which to base your own opinions and decisions. That’s our mission and kaupapa – but we can’t do it without you, so please consider supporting our work in any way you can. Every contribution helps. Thank you, and until next week, mā te wā.
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Debrin Foxcroft
Deputy New Zealand Editor
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Claudia Rozas, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
A ministerial working group is charged with identifying what knowledge matters in secondary school English. But we need a national conversation about what that means in a modern, multicultural society.
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Simon Davies, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Clare-Ann Fortune, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Karen Salmon, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Linda Fatialofa, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
Evidence shows the links between punishment, discipline and behaviour change are weak at best. Good rehabilitation has a therapeutic focus – but this is less popular with politicians and the public.
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Shaun Eaves, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Andrew Mackintosh, Monash University; Helen Bostock, The University of Queensland; Joel Pedro
Earth’s climate system is connected across hemispheres. When the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation weakens and Europe cools, warming in New Zealand and southern mid-latitudes accelerates.
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David Jefferson, University of Canterbury; Jesse Pirini, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Jessica C Lai, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
The newly signed global Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Traditional Knowledge might improve the patent system, but is unlikely to improve protection of Indigenous knowledge itself.
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Melika Soleimani, Massey University; Ali Intezari, The University of Queensland; David J Pauleen, Massey University; Jim Arrowsmith, Massey University
Recruiters are now routinely using AI to automate the screening of CVs and interview videos. But human bias already exists in the AI data – and it can even be heightened by the algorithm.
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Matt Halliday, Auckland University of Technology
Fossil fuel ad bans are gaining traction overseas, but New Zealand has so far shown few signs of wanting to be at the forefront of the movement.
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Anthony Richardson, University of Waikato
Finding a balance between sometimes contradictory definitions of the role of universities will be the first challenge for the University Advisory Group.
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Dulani Jayasuriya, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin can use more power than countries such as Finland. The emergence of eco-friendly alternatives provides hope, and a few concerns, for crypto users.
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Brian Diettrich, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
After an eight-year hiatus due to COVID, ‘FestPAC’ is back. With its unique combination of song, dance, history and politics, this year’s festival in Hawai'i is more relevant than ever.
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Alan Brent, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Catherine Iorns, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
The major benefit of agrivoltaics is that solar panels shelter crops and animals from the heat, while providing more warmth at night. Soils also retain more moisture and some crops grow better.
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Marek Tesar, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
Research consistently shows access to early childhood education can effect literacy, schooling and life in general. Its relative absence in a budget supposedly focused on education is baffling.
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From our foreign editions
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Jared Mondschein, University of Sydney
The US is relying more on its alliances in the Middle East in order to pull back a bit. This will likely continue no matter who is in the White House next year.
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Julien Robin, Université de Montréal
Julien Robin, a specialist in French parliamentary life, looks at what the surprise dissolution means for French politics.
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Lauren Ball, The University of Queensland; Kirsten Adlard, The University of Queensland
Despite a few controversies, Mosley is recognised as making scientific information accessible in a way that has advanced public health.
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Trevon Logan, The Ohio State University
Human bondage was big business in the antebellum US, and men weren’t the only ones cashing in.
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Peta Stapleton, Bond University
What if you’re neither an introvert or extrovert – or you’re a bit of both? Another category might fit better: ambiverts. They’re the middle of the spectrum and are also called ‘social introverts’.
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Satish Kumar, Queen's University Belfast
Even among millennials climate change was only the fourth most important issue.
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Cahyani Widi Larasakti, The University of Melbourne
The relationship between neighbours Australia and Indonesia has gone through major swings. Could the green transition offer a win-win?
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Amelia Hadfield, University of Surrey
Enviroment policies and executive roles now in the spotlight – while France faces a potentially divisive national election.
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Patrick Leblond, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa
Requiring businesses to lobby through the people, not government, as Pierre Poilievre recently suggested, may sound like a better way to make policy. It’s not.
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Joleen Steyn Kotze, University of the Free State
Political parties must show ideological flexibility to foster stability and drive South Africa towards prosperity through creative policy solutions.
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