As I continue my investigations into Erica Stanford and her education policies, it’s time to go down the rabbit hole (sadly we won’t find wonderland) and look into the Ministerial Advisory Group (MAG) that she appointed not long after her appointment as Minister of Education. All indications suggest that the list of names was almost already to go, that the Ministry of Education was consulted and suggested a number of names. Four of these were appointed, the other eight appointees were people whose names did not appear on the Ministry’s list of recommendations.
One of these was Professor Elizabeth Rata and, as Bevan Holloway has found out, the Ministry advised against appointing her to the group.
‘Stanford is actively choosing to surround herself with people, like Rata, who have a stated aim of ending decolonisation’s success, and who, like Derby, argue that structural racism doesn’t exist.’
Dr Michael Johnston, one of the people the Ministry did recommend, was appointed as chairperson, against the Ministry’s recommendation. People with a curious mind may wonder why the Ministry recommended him for the MAG and then didn’t recommend him as chair.
Teacher and occasional blogger Melanie Dorrian (who helps run the Save Our Schools Facebook page) wrote an article on this group not long after its appointment, so I won’t go over territory she covers.
I’ll note here that I’ve worked with James Chapman and while I disagree with his reading beliefs, he was always good to work with and I don’t doubt his integrity. I also am aware of the reputation of Christine Braid and again I have no reason to doubt her integrity, So this group is a mixed bag.
However let’s look at two others in the MAG (apart from Elizabeth Rata), starting with Dr Michael Johnston.
Dr Johnston is a cognitive psychologist, employed by the New Zealand Initiative. That is enough to raise concerns, given the ideology of this right wing think tank. As a cognitive psychologist he apparently has no hands on knowledge or skills in teaching and educational practices, yet has published and spoken widely over the years about his vision for education and his “Solutions for New Zealand’s Education Crisis”, published 27th April 2023.
- “Introducing a new, knowledge-rich curriculum centred on literacy, numeracy, and disciplinary subjects.
- Redesigning the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) to encourage more coherent teaching and reduce superficial learning.
- Reforming initial teacher education (ITE) to focus on effective teaching methods based on the science of human information processing, sound curriculum knowledge, and formative assessment literacy.
- Introducing a performance-based career structure for teachers, with promotions based on professional standards.
- Enabling schools to hire professionals without teaching qualifications and streamlining the process for hiring international teachers.
- Expanding the National Monitoring Study of Student Achievement (NMSSA).
- Refocusing the core research function of the NZCER on large-scale quantitative, generalisable research on teaching and learning.”
Notice anything?
I’ll discuss the claim about New Zealand’s “education crisis” at another time – there’s more going here than that bald statement allows.
Of the other members, the one that stands out is Dr Melissa Derby, who was appointed Race Relations Conciliator in August 2024, an appointment welcomed by the Free Speech Union, which is enough to raise an eyebrow, given some of the members of the Free Speech Union, such as Stephen Franks, Ani O’Brien and Jordan Williams.
She has also contributed to The Common Room website, alongside such people as Paula Bennett, David Farrar, Dr Oliver Hartwich, (Executive Director, The New Zealand Initiative), Karen Chhour, Sean Plunket and, yet again, Jordan Williams, amongst others.
As I wrote about Erica Stanford, people can be judged by the company they keep. Check the list for yourself.
There is clearly a very strong New Zealand Initiative influence on the government’s education policies (and on many other policies as well. In fact it is not too hard to draw a conclusion that two of the governing parties, National and ACT, have been charged with doing just that, implementing New Zealand Initiative policies.
This video on Facebook by Brie Elliot really spells out the involvement of the New Zealand Initiative:
How a Private Think Tank’s Wish List Becomes Law
Apologies to the people who don’t have a Facebook account – I suggest you ask someone who has one to play it for you.
Brie says:
“What if I told you that a private think tank basically handed the government a blue print for education and health reforms before the last election even happened?
Before the last election the New New Zealand Initiative ran ads across all media services like this and see if the government actually implemented any of them.”
She then breaks down the advertisements and shows how the government is in the process of implementing each part.
As well as education Brie also discusses the New Zealand Initiative’s health recommendations and shows how these are also being implemented.
(I recommend you follow Brie on Facebook – her latest video is about Elizabeth Rata.)
Presented like this it is blindingly obvious whose agenda is being implemented.
It is imperative that we all do what we can to publicise this.
Sending people the link to Brie’s video would be a good start.
Why does the government allow non-citizens to vote? *crickets chirping*
Because New Zealanders know them and despise them.
There’s nothing from ‘New Zealand’ about the ‘New Zealand Institute’. These rats pushing an alien neoliberal agenda should be deported.
So, the NZI (er, I mean Business Roundtable), have people in key government positions (e.g. Finance – Nicola Willis, Education – Erica Stanford, and Regulations/DepPM – David Seymour) nad we are wondering why NZI policies are front and centre for the current CoC government? Really?
And look how many businesses ,big and small ,are closing or down sizing and reporting massive losses all run by these type of people .No recommendation that they know what they are doing .
Now we have Luxon trying to talk house prices up and telling the reserve bank what to do because his economic model is failing big time .
The answer to your question Allan is because they haven’t got the intelligence to have any policies of their own other than to give their ministers a 10% pay increase and to give landlords and their donors backhanders.
100% correct .
Remember. Even cognitive psychologist’s can run while screaming.
I think, yes I do, that we’re at war. We’re at a psy-ops war of stealth and manipulation and all because of the beastly Crown and them raucous Maori with their rucious ways ( Same thing. Just different.) [We] are here and [they] are not and therein lies the rub.
AO/NZ is the jewel on a burning crown of the Planet. The frosty bits of both ends of our globe are melting, the bits in the middle are diseased, waring, starving and so are, generally writing, a bit fucked. Australia’s like a fry pan. The heats still in the middle but sooner or later it’ll spread to the edges and there are still far too many male American politicians who believe that their skinny four inches equals a big dick.
Our farmers aye? How fucked have they become. Quite fucked is my observation.
So. Fellow farmers. Read this. Then go on strike.
I found this in todays The Guardian
Ethics & ethos
“What we’re doing to make sure our veg makes a positive impact;
organic farming, employee ownership, pioneering packaging and more…”
https://www.riverford.co.uk/ethics-and-ethos
The enemy of we, the people, are not gun wielding nutters but suit wearing prancing nancies working in banks.
You know those now australian owned Kiwi banksters? Anz, asb, bnz and westpac? Those ones? They need to go. NOW! TODAY!
Sorry to shout.
Read this. These cunts have power over us and I mean real power, and that must stop.
The astounding profit Australian banks make in New Zealand every hour
Australian banks are making $580,000 in New Zealand every hour
https://www.stuff.co.nz/money/350557023/the-astounding-profit-australian-banks-make-in-new-zealand-every-hour
Good mahi Allan
Why Is the Government Implementing New Zealand Initiative Policies?
Let me make a suggestion.
Way back last century if you gave a politician sugar, eggs, flour, butter and a few other ingredients he would have been able to bake you a cake.
If you gave the same ingredients to one of today’s lot, she would just stare blankly, then go down to Woolworths and buy the ready made article.
The same politician will not want to engage with teachers, parents, philosophers and scientists to thrash out an education policy. Not when she can buy one ready made from the New Zealand Initiative.
Will the cake be that good? No, because it will be made with cheap ingredients (which doesn’t necessarily mean it will be cheap) so as to turn a profit.
The same approach has been used for all aspects of policy since Roger Douglas delegated to Treasury the task of managing the New Zealand economy (and make no mistake, among colonialists education is considered to be merely a component of economic management).
As Brie Elliot says ” Honestly stop voting for these people that can’t even write their own policy.”