Brie Elliot’s Letter Seeking a Review of Elizabeth Rata’s Damehood.

The awarding of a damehood to Elizabeth Rata has caused a great deal of kerfuffle and raising questions which need to be answered. 

As is well known, and easy to verify,  Rata makes no secret of her aim to ‘recolonise New Zealand’ removing all traces of Māori (and Pasifika) influence. Don’t be fooled by her last name, as she is not Māori. Rata was the married name she adopted in 1986, even though her husband died in 1987. 

Also don’t be fooled by the fact she was a prime mover in establishing Kura Kuapapa schooling. She’s turned 180 degrees from those days. 

And you can be absolutely sure she was not awarded the honour for her Kura Kaupapa work . That totally would fly in the face of this government’s racist agenda.

Bevan Holloway wrote about her influence here, her work to ‘europeanise’ the secondary English curriculum to fit her 19th century values. 

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Dame Liz.

 

In this article Rata is quoted as saying this:

“Earlier this year I was privileged to be the Lead Writer for the years 7-13 knowledge rich English curriculum (and yes – Shakespeare and Grammar are there). It will be, I hope, along with still-to- be-written Science and History curricula, the circuit breaker in replacing the Learning Approach and ending decolonisation’s success.”

 

Bevan also includes another quote from Rata which is explicit.

“Subject English has a very particular role – that of creating society’s cultural repertoire. When we study English at school we are taught, or should be taught, the content and conventions of our nation’s language. New Zealand’s institutions, social practices and values were developed in English. It is the language of the 19th century colonial era and of 20th century nation building. The most effective way to decolonise the nation is by removing English ‘that dangerous language of the eurocentric coloniser’ from the school curriculum”.

 

Do you need any more convincing?

Recently Brie Elliot posted this on Facebook.

‘I’m not waiting days for a petition. Sign this Google Form now. It takes 10 seconds. 

Elizabeth Rata has been made a Dame for “services to education.”

Her reported speech notes described the knowledge-rich curriculum as a “circuit breaker” for “ending decolonisation’s success.”

David Seymour has now publicly celebrated her Damehood as evidence of “progress” and asked whether someone like her would have been recognised by the Government three years ago.

This honour is not being received as neutral recognition.

It is being celebrated by a senior Government Minister as a sign of political change.

I am collecting names to submit as a formal public complaint/sign-on letter to the Honours Unit, asking for this appointment to be reviewed and for the public to be told how this honour upholds trust in the honours system.

Link to Google Docs form.

 We request a review of this appointment and a public explanation of how honouring Elizabeth Rata for “services to education” upholds public trust in the New Zealand Royal Honours system, given her reported comments about “ending decolonisation’s success” and the public celebration of the honour by David Seymour as political progress.

Privacy note: Your name and optional comment will be used only for this complaint/sign-on letter. They may be submitted to the Honours Unit/DPMC as part of that complaint. Your email will only be used to verify submissions or provide updates, and will not be published.’