Request to Parata to fly Māori flag at all Schools

The group that campaigned to fly the Māori flag on the Auckland Harbour Bridge wants it to be flown at all public schools.

Te Ata Tino Toa has written to the Minister of Education, describing the benefits of flying the flag at all schools:

Spokesperson Te Ao Pritchard is sure that Ms Parata will welcome the idea, as it ties in closely with the values she promotes in education:

- Helping schools engage with Māori.
- Promoting Māori language and culture.
- Using ‘best practice’ from overseas (it’s normal for the Aboriginal flag to fly from schools in Australia, see the link below).

http://web.ncc.wa.edu.au/our-college/enrolment/custodial-acknowledgement

‘We think it would be great for our tamariki to walk into school in the morning and to see the Māori flag flying side by side with other flags,’ says Ms Pritchard.'It will be a small but significant boost for them.'

'Flying the Māori flag at our public schools will improve the current government position on the flag, by flying it all year.’

Te Ata Tino Toa congratulates schools that already fly the flag in NZ, and other organisations such as Archives NZ, the Museum of Wellington, Kura Kaupapa Māori in Auckland, the University of Auckland marae etc:

http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/177817/maori-flag-critic-not-sorry

Government consultation results in Maori flag decision:

www.mch.govt.nz/nz-identity-heritage/flags/national-m%C4%81ori-flag

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Gordon Campbell: On Failures Of Care For Those With Mental Disabilities

Hard to imagine a more disturbing insight into the treatment of the vulnerable than the Health Ministry report on Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau. The Ministry has found that the country’s only kaupapa Maori intellectual disability residential care provider has been “seriously dysfunctional.”

The ministry says the business has failed to recruit and retain quality staff – and says the kaimahi (caregivers) that have been employed are seriously unsuitable for the job, lacking basic knowledge. But Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau doesn’t get all the blame. The report says there’s a significant gap under disability laws to ensure there’s oversight by qualified clinical professionals. More>>