Nine To Noon for Friday 24 March 2023

 

 

 

09:05 Literacy expert dissects new literacy, numeracy model & National's education policy

The National Party has released its education policy, the same week a government document redefining the curriculum has also been released, termed a common-practice model. This is against a backdrop of NZ children's falling performance in reading and maths compared to international standards. Leader Christopher Luxon says two-thirds of secondary school students failed to meet minimum standards in reading, writing and maths, and 98% of decile one year 10 students failed a basic writing test. The National Party's 'Teaching the Basics Brilliantly' policy is promising to make primary and intermediate students spend at least one hour reading, writing and doing maths everyday. It also wants to rewrite the curriculum to clearly state what must be taught in these areas each year, and test students twice-yearly from Year 3. Kathryn talks to Professor Emeritus of Educational Psychology at Massey University, James Chapman.

09:25 Museums say national treasures at risk due to squeeze on funding

Warnings precious taonga are not able to be cared for adequately because of a squeeze on museum funding. Museum and heritage leaders say they are care for important historical national treasures, but outside of Te Papa in Wellington, there is no government funding for this work. They say they are also struggling with inflation, a downturn in visitors due to Covid and some museums cannot afford conservators or collections staff. They say if funding is not addressed, collection peices could fall into disrepair, galleries close or important education outreach to school children be stopped. Ian Griffin is the Director of Tūhura Otago Museum, whose Conservation Manager has recently moved to another museum in London, and it cannot replace her, which will directly affect the care of national treasures. Kathryn also talks with Adele Fitzpatrick, Chief Executive of Museums Aotearoa Te Tari o Ngā Whare Taonga o Te Motu, who says there is severe financial pressure on museums throughout the country.

09:35 Pop-up sauna - heating up sauna culture in NZ 

Three Bay of Plenty friends are turning up the heat on the centuries-old Scandinavian tradition of sauna and giving it a distinctly kiwi twist.  They're building handcrafted mobile saunas which can be towed and parked up in any location - from public spaces, to beaches and festivals. The aim of The Sauna Project is to promote health and wellbeing by making sauna more accessible. One of its directors is Luke Mexted. He speaks to Kathryn about his pop-up sauna creations and the dream to put a sauna in every town across Aotearoa.

09:45 Pacific correspondent Koroi Hawkins

Koroi has some of the big stories in the Pacific region - including five men being charged after allegedly organising a "black flight" from Papua New Guinea to Sydney carrying 52 kilograms of methamphetamine in duffle bags. And an update on Vanuatu's recovery following twin-cyclones.

RNZ Pacific Editor Koroi Hawkins 

10:05 Turning a public school around:  from closure, to school of the year

In 2006, Albert Park College in inner city Melbourne was closed after enrollments plummeted. A group of determined parents rallied and convinced the education department to give the publicly funded school a second chance. The old buildings were bulldozed and a new school began to take shape. In 2010, Steven Cook was appointed principal of the new school which at that stage had no furniture, no staff or students or even a name. 11 years later Albert Park College was voted Australian School of the Year. Steven Cook has written a book about the turnaround, and how a successful school was created where a previous one had failed.

10:35 Book review: Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey

Mellissa Oliver from Unity Books Wellington reviews Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey, published by Harper Collins

10:45 Around the motu : Tim Brown in Dunedin

The issue of karakia at public gatherings has come to a head at a recent Otago Regional Council meeting. Also the Gore District Council has been sentenced on a WorkSafe charge of failing to perform a duty in relation to the death of 3-year-old Lachlan Jones in one of the council's sewage oxidation ponds. And Tim discusses Queenstown's rental woes and power outages in Otago following strong winds and heavy rain.

Tim Brown is an RNZ reporter in Dunedin covering Otago and Southland

 

11:05 Music reviewer Grant Smithies​

The 19th album by Maryland’s Bill Callahan is called Reality, and it’s finally out on crispy double vinyl. We’ll hear a key song from that today, alongside a Bill Callahan cover by the late Gil Scott-Heron. After that, a bruised ballad from Auckland country-soul quintet The Loving Arms and a dancefloor burner from Trans-Tasman jazz-funk crew, The Lahaar. 
 

11:30 Sports commentator Sam Ackerman

The Robertson name has been in the headlines for the right and wrong reasons this week - commentator Sam Ackerman looks at the fall from grace from Olympian now drugs cheat Zane Robertson and the long awaited rise of Scott Robertson's to rugby's top coaching post.

11:45 The week that was

Comedians Irene Pink and Kathryn Burnett with a few laughs

 

Music played in this show

Track: Love Train
Artist: The O'Jays
Time Played: 10:30

Track: The Raft
Artist: Fat Freddy's Drop
Time Played: 10:34

Track: All I Need
Artist: AIR
Time Played: 10:48