Maxim Institute - real issues - No 240
15 February 2007
www.maxim.org.nz

Sustainability beyond the environment
Restorative justice in schools
Maori boys failing NCEA

IN THE NEWS
Have your say on embryo research
Donate to Maxim Institute online

SUSTAINABILITY BEYOND THE ENVIRONMENT

The Prime Minister delivered her Statement to Parliament on Wednesday, setting out the Government's programme for the year ahead. It majored on Government initiatives and priorities for environmental and economic "sustainability"; worthy and agreeable goals. Critically, however, the Prime Minister ignored the fact that social cohesion, built on strong families and free adherence to a common ethic, is also vital for New Zealand's future. The principle of sustainability cannot be limited to the environment; it must extend to the very fabric of society.

There is an important truth hidden behind the buzzword "sustainability". New Zealand, its landscape, industry, institutions, culture and social ethic are given to us in trust, to steward wisely and with regard for future generations. We want our country to be flourishing, not failing, in 50 years' time. Sustainability requires connection between the generations so that wisdom may be handed down and built upon; this connection is most powerfully created and held together through families.

Thriving marriages and responsible families are vital; they sustain the social order. When families break down, people are disconnected from their most intimate place of belonging. Many consequences often follow: the loss of character and rising crime, increasing financial hardship and state dependency. When all one's energy is spent picking up the pieces of broken family life, it is hard to find the time and resources to give back to the community. Sustainability requires that our communities are strong, interconnected and generous, and that our education and health systems are of an excellent standard.

Legislation and government policy alone cannot sustain New Zealand's vitality, but government still has a role to play in setting the priorities for our nation. It sets the tone of what we expect of ourselves and each other. We need to hear more from our leaders about the importance of marriage, family and community life. We need to remember that sustainability should be a priority across all areas of our common life.

RESTORATIVE JUSTICE IN SCHOOLS

With concern growing about school discipline and high stand-down and expulsion rates, a new report from the Institute for Policy Studies at Victoria University adds to a growing body of research suggesting the possibility of a better way.

The report, Respectful Schools: Restorative Practices in Education, summarises the experience of five New Zealand schools who have adopted restorative methods of discipline. "Restorative practices" in schools are those methods of discipline which attempt to focus on the "restoration of relationships" and the creation of a "culture of care" and "responsible citizenship", instead of solely meting out punishment. Restorative practices could include a conference between the bully and the person bullied, involving staff, families and community contacts. Such practices usually involve the acknowledgement of wrongdoing, accountability for actions, the repair of harm or some sort of reparation, and a plan to support both bully and bullied, in collaboration with wider support networks.

Schools cited in the report, concerned about the culture of their school community, came together to find solutions, resulting, they said, in lower rates of stand-down and expulsion, better academic results and greater community involvement. The strength of restorative justice programmes is that they reinforce and recognise the idea that people are not atomised, that human beings function in relationship and are connected to each other. They can help children, even at a young age, to start to understand that their actions have an impact on other people and that wrong-doing has consequences.

As Brenda Morrison puts it in her article on the school system and civil society: "Our institutions should acknowledge and carry the responsibility of building positive relationships". More research is still needed to gauge the impact of these practices, but with the increasing breakdown in relationships across society, it is encouraging to see an approach that aims to reverse that trend.

Read the report: Respectful Schools: Restorative Practices in Education

MAORI BOYS FAILING NCEA

Waikato University Professor Russell Bishop called the education statistics for Maori boys "a ticking time bomb" this week. He was referring to the 2005 Ministry of Education school leaving statistics, which show that 53 percent of Maori boys, and just under half of all Maori, have left school without a qualification.

The comments, and the release of the full tables, have sparked political debate on Maori education and the usual flurry of press releases and statistics has ensued. It is no secret that Maori pupils have been under-achieving for several decades, and throwing more money at the problem has only been of limited use.

The challenges Maori pupils face represent large barriers to learning. Generally, they have higher rates of truancy, higher stand-down and suspension statistics, more problems with bullying, and those leaving school face lower incomes and reduced job prospects if they do so with few or no qualifications.

New Zealand cannot afford to let so many of our young people slip through the cracks. We cannot carry on as usual, expecting the damning parade of dismal statistics to change. If Maori pupils are not learning the basics which are required to pass national qualifications like the NCEA, we must ask what needs to change in how we teach Maori pupils so that they can achieve. We should think outside the box and ensure our education system delivers competent, professionally-paid teachers who are equipped to teach those pupils who are falling behind. Perhaps even more importantly, we must create more flexible, community-driven education that may incorporate elements of Maori life. That means moving away from rigid bureaucratic structures and the one-size-fits-all approach of the past, and empowering communities, schools and parents to teach pupils in their community their way.

Maxim Institute has written a Policy Paper examining issues facing Maori education, and exploring how to raise Maori achievement.

Read the Policy Paper

IN THE NEWS

HAVE YOUR SAY ON EMBRYO RESEARCH

The Advisory Committee on Assisted Reproductive Technology (ACART) is calling for public submissions and is holding a series of public meetings and hui on the issue of research using human embryos. The Committee is charged with finding out what New Zealanders' think about this research; should we do it, and if so, under what conditions? Currently, only non-viable embryos can be used for research.

Read about the dates, times and places, and the procedure for registering, for the remaining public meetings and hui

Make a submission on the consultation document

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TALKING POINT

"There is no doubt that it is around the family and the home that all the greatest virtues, the most dominating virtues of human society, are created, strengthened and maintained."

Winston Churchill

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