Nine To Noon for Wednesday 12 June 2024

 

09:05 Education Minister on 'insulting' curriculum review

The Education Minister addresses teacher concerns over a new-look English curriculum they say has been drawn up in secret and is being foisted upon them without consultation. RNZ revealed nearly two weeks ago that compulsory Shakespeare and grammar lessons are included in a rewrite of the English curriculum up to Year 13, as proposed by the Ministerial Advisory Group appointed by Erica Stanford. The group was initially set up to advise on English and maths in primary schools only, but its work was later extended to the first years of secondary school, Years 9-10, and now to Year 13 for English. The five-member writing group for Y7-13 English includes an academic and four teachers - all from Auckland. Pip Tinning is the President of the NZ Association for the teaching of English, which represents thousands of teachers in 400 schools. She says the rewrite is being done in secret and is insulting to teachers. Kathryn also speaks with PPTA Vice President Kieran Gainsford, and Minister Erica Stanford.

09:30 Beekeepers continue to struggle with low profits, burden of pests 

Beekeepers are struggling through a prolonged bust period for honey and say they can't afford many more costs. That at a time when the value of honey has largely stagnated and declined for several years due to an oversupply of product. And the wider sector is split on what should be done about pests like varroa mites and American foulbrood. Last month a North Canterbury farmer was ordered to burn 10,000 boxes of honey and bees within seven days of inspectors finding spores of AMF. The beekeeper said the honey was fine and the disease only impacts bee larvae. Farmers Weekly recently reported a mass exodus of beekeepers from the sector with hives being sold off for a quarter of their usual price. And even in some cases for just $1, according to NZ Beekeeping president Jane Lorimer. Jane speaks to Kathryn about her recent visit to beekeepers around the country. Apiculture NZ chief executive Karin Kos lays out why a sector-wide strategy is needed for better pest management and sustainable sector growth. 

09:45 Australia: Govt money to Israel arms company, Opposition's climate confusion

Australia correspondent Bernard Keane joins Kathryn to talk about pressure building on Anthony Albanese's government over a near-billion dollar contract to an Israeli arms company. There's confusion over where the Opposition stands on the country's climate change policies and Australia has drawn a line under a controversial ministerial direction affecting deportees with criminal convictions, something that came out of pressure from New Zealand.

Bernard Keane is political editor for Crikey.com

10:05 Thomas Coyle: a lifetime in forensics and victim identification

Thomas Coyle was a teenager working the night shift as a baker in the town square of Leicester, England, when a tragedy outside changed the course of his career. A man had been stabbed to death underneath the clock tower - and as he approached, he realised it was his best friend. At the same time, Scotland Yard was advertising a position as a combined fingerprint expert and specialist crime scene examiner - a job he won over 400 other applicants. After moving to New Zealand, he became one of the first people here to be certified as a disaster victim identification expert, and has been involved in some major disasters including the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami in Thailand and the Christchurch earthquakes. Thomas Coyle now runs his own business - Forensic Insight - teaching students around the country about clue hunting, fingerprint identification and crime scene analysis. He's just been named a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit - for services to New Zealand Police, disaster victim identification, and theatre - which he calls his sanctuary from his day job.

 

10:35 Book review: The Piano Player of Budapest by Roxanne de Bastion 

Gail Pittaway reviews The Piano Player of Budapest by Roxanne de Bastion published by Hachette

10:45 Around the motu : Libby Kirkby McLeod in Hamilton

Police are offering an $80,000 reward for information on missing Marokopa man Tom Phillips and his three children, The cost of having a weekend burial in South Waikato could be about to skyrocket. And for the first time in decades, the critically-threatened Mahoenui giant wētā has been bred in captivity, at a new centre especially set up for the task.

Libby Kirkby-McLeod  is RNZ's Waikato Reporter

 

11:05 Music with Charlotte Ryan

Music correspondent Charlotte Ryan joins Kathryn to look at the re-release of john Lennon's 1973 album Mind Games. She'll also play a track from Cindy Lee, not only has this artist got the highest album rating on Pitchfork for many years they've also opted not to put their music onto a streaming platform. And she'll also play a track from Thom Yorke, who'll be playing in New Zealand later this year. Charlotte Ryan is host of RNZ's Music 101 show. 

11:20 Rolling back the years to NZ's first parliament

170 years ago - Parliament first sat. Dr Jock Phillips' has spent a career uncovering and documenting Aotearoa New Zealand's past, and is the author of 15 books. Today he's taking us back to 1854 - to the inaugural  Parliament following New Zealand's first general election. 

11:45 An HR expert's tips on what to do if you're facing redundancy

There are many people around the country doing it tough right now, as unemployment continues to rise.  The latest data from Stats NZ showed the unemployment rate jumped from 4 percent in December to 4.3 percent - that's 134,000 people out of work. That data didn't include some of the more recent announcements of public service cuts. So what happens if you're among those affected  - have lost your job, or are among those who might be cut? And what happens if you're still with a company or organisation but your colleagues have gone?  And how is company culture affected when there have been job losses? Kalyn Ponti or KP as she's known, is CEO of HR services agency Humankind.