Sunday Morning for Sunday 15 September 2013
8:12 Insight Are School National Standards Working?
The national standards in reading, writing and maths have been used in schools for nearly four years. They were introduced despite significant opposition by teachers and principals, many of whom still fear the standards will have negative effects. So what impact are they having? Radio NZ’s education correspondent John Gerritsen speaks to teachers, principals and parents to find out if the national standards are improving New Zealand's schools, or damaging them.
Produced by Philippa Tolley.
8:40 Andrew Macdonald – True Story of Passchendaele
Andrew Macdonald investigates the truth behind New Zealand’s part in the Third Ypres offensive of 1917. Using documents from the time and accounts from servicemen, Andrew tells what really happened before and during the battles and who was responsible for the death and injury of thousands of soldiers.
Passchendaele: The Anatomy of a Tragedy, by Andrew Macdonald, is published by HarperCollins.
9:06 Mediawatch
Times are tough for newspapers and they need all the money they can get. But are they about to start renting out their journalists to advertisers and selling off space in their news pages? Mediawatch talks to an editor who’s been fact-checking Australia’s election and now wants to do the same here; and contrasting claims from Kiwis about real life in North Korea.
Produced and presented by Colin Peacock and Jeremy Rose.
9:40 Mike Dewar – Trouble in the Two Tribes of Ulster
Retired colonel Mike Dewar served several tours in Northern Ireland with the British army. He says sectarian feeling still runs high among the two tribes of Ulster, 15 years on from the Good Friday Peace Agreement, and he fears the problems of Northern Ireland are far from over.
Colonel Mike Dewar is a military historian and former soldier, and the author of The British Army in Northern Ireland.
10:06 Ideas International Aid - What works and what doesn’t?
Duncan Green, the author of From Poverty to Power, speaks to Chris Laidlaw about his belief that active citizenship is the key to reversing the world’s growing inequalities; UnionAID’s Helen Wilson describes a project in Tamil Nadu, India that has seen some of the poorest of the poor setting up worker cooperatives; and Professor Stephen Howes, a former World Bank economist, reflects on what works and what doesn’t when it comes to international aid.
Produced by Jeremy Rose.
10:55 Today’s Track
Today we feature a brand new single from Paul McCartney. It’s called ‘New’, and it wouldn’t sound out of place on one of the later Beatles’ albums.
11:05 Down the List
There are concerns about the intent and the quality of some programming on Maori Television, and around the process of appointing a new CEO.
Down the List is written by Dave Armstrong and produced by Adam Macaulay and Duncan Smith from the RNZ Drama Department.
11:12 Richard Faull – Researching the Brain
New Zealand’s top brain scientist, Professor Richard Faull ONZM, directs the Centre for Brain Research at the University of Auckland, with a 300-strong team of researchers. He is recognised internationally as a leading expert in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Prof. Faull is best-known for demonstrating that adult brain cells can be replaced if they die – giving hope to those with neurodegenerative diseases and brain injuries.
Professor Faull this week gave the Bishop Sir Paul Reeves Memorial Lecture, organised by Leadership New Zealand, with support from AUT.
11:40 Wayne Brittenden’s Counterpoint
Wayne discusses the implications of the Russian initiative to get Syria to agree to surrender its chemical weapon stockpile. He also takes a critical look at mainstream media coverage of the Syrian crisis. Chris follows up with American media critic Jeff Cohen.