Rodney Hide
Rodney Hide is former ACT Party leader and minister in the National-ACT Government from 2008 to 2011.
The Ministry of Education must be abolished. Kids’ lives are at stake.
I wish it was just a failure to teach. It’s much worse than that. The ministry is stripping kids of their sanity.
It was Let Kids Be Kids’ Elisabeth Cave who explained the darkness to me. She did this by describing the work of Dr Steven Stosny. It’s terrifying when you see it.
Dr Stosny explains the importance of identity. It’s what “helps organize conscious thoughts, feelings, and behavior choices”. He models identity with the following pyramid:
The important rungs are the bottom ones. It’s upon these that our identity is built. That’s what schools in our day focussed upon. It was our humanity – our connection with all humans and our character – that was built at school, at home, in church, in sports, and in clubs.
Our teachers brought us up with our ideology – our belief in God and Country – and honed our skills and talents. That was what schooling did. We were brought up with a great sense of self and were well prepared to live successfully and joyfully.
Not now.
The bottom rungs are washed away and schools now hyperfocus on the top three rungs – at the exclusion of all else. It is now race, sexuality and gender.
Dr Stosny explains:
Identifying with any of the upper rungs of the pyramid, at the expense of the foundation, causes prolonged stress or dysphoria.
Most of the ideological and cultural strife in the world (not to mention hate) stems from hyperfocus on any of the upper rungs while violating the foundation.
Parents and grandparents who take an interest in their kids’ schooling know exactly that this is happening but without the Stosny Pyramid it is difficult to see the loss of humanity and character.
How bad is it? Let me illustrate. The Ministry decided it would be a good idea to have a Ministerial Youth Advisory Group because “Children and young people … have a right to participate, be heard and have their opinions considered in decisions that affect them.”
As an aside, the statement demonstrates just how intellectually bereft the ministry is. No one has a right to be heard. That would suggest someone has an enforceable duty to listen. No one does. We are still a free people. We can freely speak our minds but no one has to listen to us. Just like we don’t have to listen to anyone else. That’s what it is to live in a free society.
But no, for the ministry, children have the right to be heard.
The ministry doesn’t explain how they chose the 12 members of the advisory group but in describing them the ministry focuses entirely on the top rungs.
From Hamilton, age 17:
I hold pride within my indigenous identity and heritage as a young Iban woman. … For as long as I live, I will keep on fighting to work for inclusivity.
From Wellington, age 15:
As a Muslim and an Arab I am really looking forward to being a part of the action and truly making a difference in our education system.
From Wellington, age 14:
As a bisexual myself, I hope to bring this progressive movement to the table.
From Wanaka, age 14:
Last year I broke my C4 vertebrae and as a result I spent a lot of time navigating around in a wheelchair.
From Otorohanga, age 16:
I have been brought up and enriched in my maori culture through the Kiingitanga. ….
It is my hope that rangatahi can provide fresh and vibrant ideas, such as including maramataka maori (lunar calendar), and trying to include maori philosophy in the way we teach so that it remains relevant in our world.
From Whangarei, age 15:
as an Indian and gifted learner, I have faced challenges and obstacles in my learning path
From Auckland, age 18:
I am a proud daughter of Tongan immigrants …. I have a strong passion in changing the way our education system caters to its students; more specifically the BIPOC youth community.
From Christchurch, age 18:
the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes ... I experienced for the first time, a scary city-wide lockdown during school that lasted well into the night, when the tragic Mosque shootings occurred ... From 2020, I experienced for the first time, online learning, remote learning, zoom/team’s meetings, mass numbers of teachers and students away sick and raised anxieties, feelings of isolation and uncertainty from both students and adults in my school because of Covid.
From Taumarunui, age 18:
I have a passion for using my voice and fighting for what's right.
From Hamilton, age 17:
I have an ultra-rare genetic disorder KBG syndrome.
From Taranaki, age 17:
I am queer nonbinary and of mixed and Vietnamese descent. My areas of passion focus on activism, inclusivity of minority communities, mental health, and LGBT+, POC, and BIPOC issues.
From Auckland, age 17:
I’m a 17 year-old Māori/European and live in South Auckland ... I have two younger brothers, both with Tourette’s Syndrome and Autism, and I myself am neurodiverse too.
I don’t wish to take anything away from the young members of the advisory group. They are all lovely kids I am sure with families that love them.
But I feel sorry for them. They have not had their character developed, a belief and faith instilled, or their talents and skills extended. That is the state of our schools.
It is in plain sight everywhere you look. The hyperfocus on gender and race to the exclusion of what is truly important. It is little wonder that more and more young people are struggling.
They lack critical skills and, while they proselytise, they can’t reason or debate the issues they care so deeply about.
What the ministry does is precisely what you would do if you wanted to strip young people of a strong sense of self. It is exactly what you would do if you wanted to destroy a society from within.
This article was originally published by Bassett, Brash and Hide.
