Search Results for: Mātauranga Māori 

More news from New Zealand about the big science vs. indigenous “knowledge” ruckus

Suddenly I am inundated with emails from disaffected Kiwis who take issue with the New Zealand government’s and academia’s new push to teach mātauranga Māori , or Māori “ways of knowing” as coequal with real science in high-school and university science classes.  Many of these people are worried that the country is being swept with … Continue reading More news from New Zealand about the big science vs. indigenous “knowledge” ruckus

Impediments to speaking freely in New Zealand academia

The article below, published in NZ’s Stuff magazine, summarizes a big yearly survey taken by the country’s Free Speech Unions (find the big survey here or here, click the FSU icon below, or ask for a pdf). The upshot is that Kiwi academics often have difficulty saying what’s on their mind for fear of ostracism or … Continue reading Impediments to speaking freely in New Zealand academia

Maori “ways of knowing” to be taught as science in NZ universities

The kerfuffle continues about whether mātauranga Māori, or “Maori ways of knowing”, constitutes an independent form of science that should be taught in school science class as coequal to what we know as “real science”.  As I’ve pointed out before, this coequality is simply ludicrous, for mātauranga Māori is a collection of religious beliefs, superstitions, … Continue reading Maori “ways of knowing” to be taught as science in NZ universities

Richard Dawkins writes to New Zealand’s “friends of science and reason”

As I’ve written a couple of times, New Zealand is undergoing a dilution of its science education since the increasingly woke government and university administrators have decided that indigenous ways of knowing, called “mātauranga Māori”, should be taught as coequal with science in both high school and university science classes. But the Māori “ways of … Continue reading Richard Dawkins writes to New Zealand’s “friends of science and reason”

The University of Waikato vows fealty to New Zealand’s only approved ideology

This video, narrated by Dr Sarah-Jane Tiakiwai and Professor Alister Jones of the University of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand, is intended to give “an update on the Taskforce’s work in 2021, and what lies ahead in 2022.” The taskforce was apparently charged with “addressing systemic and casual racism.” In other words, what we have … Continue reading The University of Waikato vows fealty to New Zealand’s only approved ideology

Berkeley to change biology courses into social-justice courses

Well, here we go again. Unsurprisingly, the University of California at Berkeley has revamped its biology curriculum, turning courses in three departments into propaganda mills as well as vehicles for learning biology. This initiative was announced by Berkeley itself at the website below (click to read). Here’s some of the announcement, showing that the revamping … Continue reading Berkeley to change biology courses into social-justice courses

The “teach Maori other ways of knowing in science class” fracas continues; Richard Dawkins weighs in

As I wrote yesterday, a big woke fracas is brewing in New Zealand, with the universities and government on the side of the woke, and the science professors (by and large) on the side of the angels. Since my piece appeared, I’ve gotten half a dozen emails from academics in New Zealand, objecting to the … Continue reading The “teach Maori other ways of knowing in science class” fracas continues; Richard Dawkins weighs in