National Standards and What Education is Really About

Des Mann, founding principal of Green Bay High School in Auckland, New Zealand talks about some alternatives to National Standards and what education is “really about anyway.” During his twelve years at Green Bay High, Des Mann’s focus was on developing the whole child rather than the assessment of their academic achievements which, after all, only represents a small part of a child’s overall ability, creative potential, and what makes them uniquely ‘human’. Read an excerpt from Des Man’s book, Correspondences: The Shaping of a School.

Making Dreams Come True

Writer Mark Sommerset talks about how he and his illustrator, wife Rowan, made their dream of creating children’s books come true. They also run their own publishing company, Dreamboat Books, and even pack the boxes to ship their books all over the world. Winning the coveted Children's Choice Award at the 2011 New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards of the Year for their latest book, Baa Baa Smart Sheep, is another mark of their success.

Is Bullying in New Zealand Schools Embedded in its History?

Des Mann, founding principal of Green Bay High School in Auckland, New Zealand, and his partner Angela Bradley (a retired teacher), sat down with Juliet Bonnay over afternoon tea to explore this question. Listen to the podcast.

Still Standing, a book talk by Liz Jamieson-Hastings

“When you’re going through hell, keep going,” Liz Jamieson-Hastings quotes Sir Winston Churchill when she describes her struggle with alcohol and anorexia and how she overcame the afflictions that nearly derailed her life. Not only did she overcome them, she went on to help others, becoming a respected drug and alcohol counsellor who worked with the U.S. Navy and New Zealand prisoners. Liz now educates children in schools about the dangers of alcohol and drugs, stressing that alcohol is a poison. This podcast is an edited author’s talk hosted by the Waiheke Library in 2009.
Listen to the podcast.