In Australia last week, the New South Wales government condemned a Sydney primary school whose students made Black Lives Matter and anti police violence posters for their classrooms. NSW government officials have said that any teachers found politicising their classrooms will face disciplinary action and a full review will be made into the incident.
The NSW Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning says that "politics has no place in the classroom". 95bFM News and Editorial Director Jemima Huston questioned this sentiment and set out to explore where Aotearoa stands on the inclusion of political discourse in education.
Jemima begins by explaining what happened in New South Wales last week. She speaks to Jason Wong, the President of the Lindfield Learning Village Parents & Citizens Association, who describes the 'political' task set for the students and the following backlash by the NSW government and the media.
Jemima then goes on to ask New Zealand education experts whether politics has a place in New Zealand classrooms. She speaks to Victoria University of Wellington Senior Lecturer in Education Bronwyn Wood, NZEI Te Riu Roa President Liam Rutherford and the New Zealand Principals Federation. They discuss the inherently political nature of the classroom, dealing with teachers' biases, and the relevance of the NSW story stemming from a reflection exercise on recent indigenous histories.
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