Hundreds gathered at Tūhura Otago Museum Reserve to celebrate the rise of Matariki and welcome the Maori New Year. Photo: Stephen Jaquiery Matariki goes from strength to strength. It’s heart-warming for New Zealanders to share a special Māori celebration without the angst and divisions that cling to Waitangi Day. No doubt, it’s simply another welcome day off in the depths of winter for most. For others, the sentiments of Matariki are genuinely appreciated. Remembrance, honouring those we have lost since the last rising of Matariki, is poignant and meaningful. We should come together to celebrate the present and give thanks for what we have. Looking forward to the promise of a new year is a third ingredient in this worthwhile reflection. Although these themes arise from te ao Māori, they have universal appeal. It also feels as though Matariki emerged from flax-roots revival rather than being imposed from above. Participation in its activities and meanings is entirely voluntary. Celebrated as a public holiday since 2022, Matariki is now well established — a force for unity rather than separation. * * * Civis had assumed New Zealand early childhood ‘‘educators’’ were well trained and, overall, did an excellent job with our under-5s. But University of Otago research publicised last week has shaken that supposition. The study analysed the outcomes of the Enhancing Rich Interactions (Enrich) programme, which encourages educators to ask open questions and weave conversation into everyday activities. When ‘‘educators’’ were encouraged to invite children into conversation and follow their cues and interests rather than simply direct behaviour, children talked more. These back-and-forth exchanges are important for early development. Civis had thought that was obvious. Surely seasoned teachers already know the value of weaving conversation into a child’s day or into the story they are reading. Surely, they are aware of following toddlers’ interests. That’s been a Playcentre belief from the beginning. Clearly, too, early childhood education courses should teach and reinforce such basic principles. Yet, ECE centres still require professional Enrich training. In the research trial, 136 centres were randomly assigned either to receive Enrich professional development or to be in the active control group. More than 1400 toddlers showed benefits in oral language, self-regulation, early literacy and social skills by age 3. The Enrich research leader, University of Otago psychologist Prof Elaine Reese, said ‘‘serve-and-return’’ interactions might be especially important for toddlers whose home lives are stressful. The findings will help fine-tune the programme for the Ministry of Education, which aims to roll it out to more than 500 additional learning services over the next four years. It seems much improvement is needed in this country’s ECE centres after all. * * * Civis soon tired of hearing football described as ‘‘the beautiful game’’ during the early stages of Fifa’s World Cup. The phrase is so overdone that it made Civis want to score an own goal. It was as if fans and commentators were puffing up their sport — not that it needs any help. Football is the globe’s most popular game, and the World Cup is a gigantic event. Thankfully, the delicate ears of Civis were not bombarded quite so often as the tournament proceeded. * * * Last week’s criticism of New Zealand Post prompted ‘‘some food for thought’’ from Ian Hocking of Christchurch. He notes the government itself is partly to blame for the plunge in mail volumes. The mail he receives from Health New Zealand and other official agencies arrives via alternate carrier DX Mail, not our ‘‘national mail carrier’’. That’s a lot of mail NZ Post is missing out on. Doesn’t this suggest that NZ Post is less efficient and adaptable than it should be? civis@odt.co.nz
