Tanya Laybourn – Deputy Principal, High School
Tirohia kia mārama. Whāwhāngia kia rangona te hā.
Observe to gain enlightenment. Participate to feel the essence.
Did you hear Chris Hipkins’ speech at Waitangi this year? He closed with the old Cherokee legend describing the internal battle between two wolves. The “Evil” Wolf represents negative emotions such as fear, anger and greed. The “Good” Wolf represents positive virtues like kindness, love and hope. A child asks, “which wolf wins?” The storyteller’s response is, “It depends on which one you feed”.
Over Waitangi Weekend, I was at Waitangi in the crowd with several of our Tāwari students. Chris Hipkins’ story resonated with us. I believe that if we feed our rangatahi with positive experiences, like visiting Waitangi, they are more likely to grow up seeing and feeling the value of Te Tiriti. In doing so, they can forge lives that honour our founding document and become the adults that will guide our country to a better future. As the whakatuaki leading this article says – when we observe, we learn. But when we participate, we really know.
Maria Montessori said, “Averting war is the work of politicians; establishing peace is the work of education.” She saw educators as agents of social change responsible for nurturing peace in the next generation. Our annual Year 12 trip to Waitangi is one thing I do to my part as an educator working to establish peace in and for our rangatahi.
Some of the reflections from ākonga this year included noticing in themselves a realisation that previously 6th February was just a holiday, and now they feel connected to the holiday and understand it better. Others expressed how glad they were to witness the passion people have for honouring the day and the document, and mana held by tangata whenua. Several students said they understood what a privilege it was to be there and see everything for real.
I observed the natural discussion that organically happened when adolescents experienced seeing political rub in real time and in real context. They were engaged, present and discussing in a way that only comes about in teens when they really get it and really want to make their own sense of it. To be honest watching politicians speak can be less than riveting, but this group wanted to know more and explore what was being said.
Montessori programmes are committed to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and to celebrating the culture of whānau to enable ākonga to develop a deep sense of self. Rich cultural experiences and celebrations are integrated into programmes. (Montessori Essential Elements 2.5) Every year that I take ākonga to Waitangi I learn more and more from seeing the issues and celebrations through their eyes and ears. “When youth rise with purpose, the world bends towards progress.” (Aloo Denish Obiero)
