Kia ora!
Welcome to Better Ancestors, and our weekly video series throughout 2021. In this series our people share their stories – their thoughts and their actions to leave the earth a better place – to be a good ancestor to future generations. Our planet is experiencing catastrophic environmental harm; it requires us to Think Long Term and take action to ensure a sustainable and healthy future for all. The stories of those leading the change, thinking and acting with long term vision are inspirational. Inspired we can ask ourselves, “what can we do to be Better Ancestors?”
This week Better Ancestors visits Tania de Basin and the tamariki of Rutherford Primary School. Tania has been teaching the children of Tāmaki-makau-rau for nearly twenty years. She teaches the link between responsibility and sustainability, if we can understand the link between our ancestors, our actions and the world we leave for the future, then we can protect the natural environment.
With Kaumātua participating in the teaching process, and by allowing the natural world into the classroom, Tania inspires the next generation of leaders. Currently there is not enough focus or support on environmental education, and for teachers like Tania, incorporating lessons on sustainability into the existing curriculum can feel like swimming upstream.
Through the Ministry of Education, the government plays a key role in providing resources to teachers, and has the ability promote the integration of environmental education into all other subjects. In Aotearoa we are the lucky country with a government by the people for the people. By being engaged and requiring our government to support people like Tania, we, too, can be Better Ancestors.
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Episode 11 premieres next week, March 21.