I have chosen to critique McLeod (2012) “Top of the class for poverty hardly looks like privilege”
Who is this source about?
This source is about young Maori who are falling out of education and joining gangs for support. It is also about the members of society that are not meeting their needs by allowing negative perceptions of Maori to shape their interactions (McLeod, 2012). At the end of the piece, McLeod (2012) includes a somewhat bizarre juxtaposition: considering the treatment of child molesters such as the ‘Beast of Blenheim’, Stewart Murray Wilson.
Who has created it and why?
Rosemary McLeod is a seasoned, Pakeha opinion columnist having begun her writing career in the 1970’s (nzonscreen, n.d). She writes scathing social commentaries and is well known for her
…show more content…
2012, Kupu Taea, 2014). Te Whariki is a bicultural curriculum, interwoven with the principle of family and community (MOE, 1996). If we are to embrace the differences in our students, we must turn to family and community as having valuable insights into their children’s lives (MOE, 1996, MOE 2011). Pakeha need to consult with Maori, for Maori to find a way to work together for the education of all children.
Awareness of the context of negative outcomes for Maori
This piece highlights the ease of which we enter into negative discourses of Maori. McLeod’s (2012) willingness to enter into anti-Maori discourses without considering the context, affirms the need for us to respect the background of Maori/ Pakeha relations in Aotearoa. As teachers it is essential we recognise our past failings and learn from these to meet our obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi (MOE, 2011). To achieve this we must develop a respect for Maori people, culture, history and values (MOE, 2011).
The need to form positive relationships based on the unique stories of our Maori