The Wire with Caeden

Recently, a lot of conversation has been had about the curriculum, with the government planning to roll out yet another new and expanded curriculum. This expanded curriculum, beginning in term one of next year, will seek to provide the tools for teachers to educate and assist students with ‘high and complex needs,’ who were otherwise ignored in the existing curriculum, or so the government claims. This comes against the background of this government’s push for effective teaching and learning, based in ‘science’.

However, concerns remain about this curriculum. For starters, this curriculum exists separately from the rest of Aotearoa’s student body; we seem to be getting one curriculum for those with complex needs, and one for those without, dividing our youth. This has led to questions about the role of inclusion in our education, and what it means that the government has not attempted to create one curriculum that can work for all students.

Monday Wire Producer Alex spoke to Senior Lecturer in Critical Studies in Education at the University of Auckland, Dr Jude MacArthur, about this separate curriculum, what it means for these students, and how it might affect their learning and inclusion.

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Shanan Halbert about the results of the Ipsos survey, the removal of the requirement for school boards to give effect to the Treaty, the petition for a social media ban for under 16s, and the government banning puberty blockers for young people with gender dysphoria. 

For International Desk, they spoke to Vira Paky, Youth Engagement Co-ordinator at Save the Children New Zealand, about her experience on the ground at COP30 in Brazil.

Producer Jasmine talked to Councillor Julie Fairey about Plan Change 120 and Tāmaki hosting the World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education this week.

And she talked to Deputy Secretary of Worker’s First Union Anita Rosentreter about four New Zealanders that have won a four-year legal battle against Uber.

This week COP30, the world’s main annual climate summit, has continued in the Amazonian city of Belém, Brazil.

COP30 marks a new push from indigenous voices to be elevated at the summit, with the largest indigenous participation in history - an estimated 3,000 with 1,000.

Tens of thousands of people also protested outside COP30 last week in the first large-scale protest at a United Nations climate summit in years.

Wire Host Caeden spoke with Vira Paky, Youth Engagement Co-ordinator at Save the Children New Zealand, who is on the ground at COP.

Yesterday, the United Nations Security Council voted 13-0 in favour of US President Donald Trump’s resolution for lasting peace in Gaza, although Russia and China chose to abstain. The plan includes vague references to Palestinian statehood in the future, along with the deployment of an “international stabilisation force” in Gaza.

Supporters of the resolution suggest it should lead to the immediate lifting of remaining opposition to the flow of aid into Gaza, and the creation of an international stabilisation force would fill the vacuum left by the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the region, while allowing for the immediate measures required to feed and protect the 2.2 million Palestinians living in the region.

To discuss Donald Trump’s latest plan for lasting peace in Gaza, and what it means for Palestine and Hamas, Wednesday Wire Host Max spoke with Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa co-chair John Minto.