Life learnings for today
Many of those I support
Those facing schools that target their children
Clarification of target: Effectively actions the school uses to discriminate against children in a way that the children know that they are different and that difference is not acceptable to them, the school
Whanau (family) often face these types of responses
Group 1: Shut up and put up - stop complaining and it will go away
Group 2: You or your kid must have done something wrong ~ You deserve it
Group 3: It does not happen here in NZ ~ It just would not - we have laws
Group 4: I support you BUT I can't show it because I will be targetted too
Group 5: I support you BUT I don't know what to do
Group 6: I don't want to be involved -I don't want to know - thank God it does not happen to me and my kid
Group 7: It happens all the time - it is just the way it is - best to accept the inevitable
Group 8: Just chill - here take a chill pill
Group 9: Are you OK? Do you need to see a psychiatrist? ~ it is because you have a "mental health" issue
Group 10: Just leave and go to another school
Far too often this is the top response:
Group 11: Just leave and go to another school
You are an irresponsible parent for allowing your child to be exposed to bullying. Move your child to another school.
Even better - home school or enrol in correspondence school or send them to Alternative Education
What group/ groups do you belong to?
THINK ABOUT THIS
What is the impact of my thinking?
The problem
Am I perpetuating the problem ~ Am I allowing this to continually happen?
Am I minimising the problem?
Do I really care?
If not why not?
Do I have a responsibility to care?
The current situation
The child and whanau involved right now? Is this ok?
My child and my whanau? Are we impacted?
The long-term situation
The child and whanau involved right now? What are their outcomes?
My child and whanau? What are our outcomes?
Other children in the school? How do they see it?
Other children in NZ? How are they treated? Is there a trend?
State of our education system
The state of the NZ education system for ALL children in the future?
What is the state of our education system now?
Does the problem we now see contribute to the state of our education system?
Consider:
What happens to one, happens to others
Inaction is an action
Transformational Change
Awareness is the first step to transformational change
Acceptance that there is a problem is the second step to transformational change
Ignoring the problem does not solve the problem
It makes the problem continue
Our thinking, drives our actions
It is what we do that determines how people see us
YET
What we do may be a reaction to how we have been treated now and in the past
And therefore our reactions may be reasonable, given the way that we have been treated
What we need to start doing is stop judging others, stop assuming and acknowledge that we all have a "conscious bias"
We need to seek an understanding and knowledge of the underlying issues facing people
We need to ask ourselves - what is a reasonable response from them - not us as they are living it and we are not.
We need to ask ourselves
What happened to this person to make them respond in this way?
When we do this we are using the trauma-informed approach
I work hard to use a trauma-informed approach
I do understand that I am a staunch supporter of the people I advocate for and by doing so I will have a "conscious bias" and I may be seen to be extremely firm with others holding the power.
I have awareness and acceptance. I try very hard to say it how I see it.
To say what needs to be said
I have been penalised for my stance by many including the teaching profession and the Ministry of Education by being excluded, disregarded and ignored.
Every child in NZ has the right to go to any school in our country to access quality education
We all have a personal responsibility to ensure that our government and the Ministry of Education, the teaching profession and our schools deliver on their promises and commitment to providing quality education to ALL our children.
Ultimately, I want an education system in NZ with all schools that are inclusive, accessible, enabling, equitable, and trauma-responsive for all.
That is why I am trauma-responsive NZ
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