Bit of stink last week because the minister of education, Hekia Parata, accused school teachers of mispronouncing the names of their Maori and Polynesian students. And the teachers didn't like it.
Fancy that: teachers didn't like being told off by someone in authority. Thought they were being patronized.
Interesting that I met a Maori man, long ago, who told me how he had to change his name in primary school because his teacher said she couldn't pronounce it. I turned that into a short story and included it in my book Nana's Special day and other stories.
Email me and I'll send you a PDF copy of that story.
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