2023: Aotearoa New Zealand’s Histories (ANZH) curriculum
April 18, 2023
By AHNZ
The new history curriculum is now (2023) officially in place in all New Zealand schools for Year 1–10 students.
They call it ANZH: Aotearoa New Zealand’s Histories curriculum. As Dr Aroha Harris, University of Auckland, puts it:
“The ANZH curriculum positions Māori history as “foundational and continuous”, so on that basis alone the future of history must be Māori. And about time… the ANZH curriculum — compulsory for Years 1 to 10…The future of history is Māori. This is true because here in Aotearoa, the past, without doubt, is Māori.” Ref. The future of history is Māori, E-Tangata (16 April, 2023)
We’ll just see about that. AHNZ vs. ANZH. Freedom vs. Compulsion.
Harris goes on to say, “Albert Barracks…addressed rumours that northern Māori would attack the growing Auckland settlement. No such attack eventuated.”
Auckland was LITERALLY under an invasion scare today in history. Albert Barracks the refuge of women and children afraid for their lives. How ironic that Harris would say a thing like that on 16 April 2023 on the same day Albert Barracks were preparing for war. “Compulsion is a defining feature of the curriculum,” but are we sure that’s such a good idea?
“The Anarchist History of New Zealand is not compulsory. You are here because you want to be here. It is not funded by The State and never will be. Please support this page by letting me know what you think and sharing it around because the competition just got a shot of nasty Government steroids.” – 2015: “Teaching Critical History in Schools”, AHNZ
“New Zealand’s capital city, Auckland, was attacked by an invading confederation of some 300 Maori tribesmen of the Hauraki Gulf today in history, 17 April, 1851. A fleet of war canoes established a beachhead at Mechanics Bay where the Port of Auckland now stands.” – 1851: The Ngatipaoa Invasion of Auckland, AHNZ
“One of her most exciting reminiscences was of being confined, together with the other women and children of the town, in the old Albert Barracks for protection from the Maoris, who were at that time threatening the town, and were mustered in force at Mechanics’ Bay.” – New Zealand Herald (1916,) Papers Past
Liberty lovers would never force history on anyone but that’s exactly what government schools will be doing. It’s not only a moral failure but it will certainly be a pedagogical failure too because nothing kills an inquiring mind more than being forced to think about something or think about it in a prescribed way. I predict the Tarken Effect settling in and driving kids away from history more than they ever were before.
Oddly, Associate Professor Harris says she’s acting against her own principles by practising the Dark Side of of the Force: “Instead of compulsion, I would have preferred an arrangement that leaned towards political anarchy”
That would be a fair contest. Why didn’t she boycott the compulsion then?
We’ve seen, on the other hand, numerous schemes and start-ups pushing for compulsion in their field. They would be quite aware of the short-term Pay Day that would come their way if they could provide the resources to supply the new artificial market for history. In the long term it’s going to be awful but they either don’t know or don’t care about history or education really. Just imagine how excited the mainstream historians must be at the prospect of *their* history books being mandated by The State. Compulsory respect. Politically appointed truth. Thousands of editions of their books and presentation packages anointed and distributed into the nation’s classrooms along with a bucket of money to compensate their efforts!
The Rangiriri Historical and Cultural Heartland Project received $2.97 million of our money to set up an education centre recently. No doubt they’re counting on raking in yet more cash in entry fees from schools as they’re given a tour of their astroturf tuffets. Ref. 1863: Do We Need A 3rd Rangiriri Pa?, AHNZ
Another example is the once great and historical Te Awamutu Musesum that has, after a cash drop from the Ministry of Education, decommissioned itself and transferred its staff and resources to an Education Centre as well. When I visited last month it consisted of many large empty rooms awaiting children to be corralled into them. Government money certainly is corrupting and damaging toward genuine heritage. Ref. 1936: Te Awamutu Museum, AHNZ
The Tarken Effect: The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers.
The more The State tightens its grip as the One Source of History the more reactionary the kids will be toward what they’re being brainwashed with. Many will tune out entirely and history will have a bad name. Others will look for something else and seek what they’re not being told by doing their own research about New Zealand events. The Government can’t shut down search engines and websites can they? They might end up visiting the Anarchist History of New Zealand. ANZH and AHNZ are so similar aren’t they? Bazinga.
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Image ref. ANZH logo
Image ref. ANZH logo modified by AHNZ
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My heart sunk when the TV program Heritage rescue came on air, I loved the few I got to see before those people started their brownwash of those quirky volunteer small country museums.
As a boy I loved to visit Auckland museum, it was great then, lit so you could have a close look at items, with display cases in rows, a fascinating place for a boy to go.
About 2000 I returned and so disappointed, may never go back.
Some of those quirky volunteer museums survive. Anything that does well though will be taken over by government power in the name of ‘community’ and ruined in the process.