title: The right to education and the resettlement and integration of refugee children in New Zealand: A legal perspective on the rights of refugee children

authors: Rantshilane, Yaone Refilwe

subjects: children's rights

abstract: This thesis examines the realisation of the right to education for refugee children in New Zealand, establishing the analysis within both international and domestic legal frameworks. It argues that despite New Zealand’s obligations under international law and domestic provisions safeguarding children’s rights, refugee children’s right to education is inadequately implemented and insufficiently monitored. While some measures exist, significant gaps remain, particularly the absence of a clear legal framework and a comprehensive, child-centred policy informed by refugee children’s rights.

Adopting a socio-legal approach, the thesis explores the extent to which New Zealand’s laws and policies protect the right to education of refugee children. The analysis primarily uses legal methods, examining legislation, policies, and practices. Sociological and educational perspectives will inform this to enhance interpretation and contextual understanding of education for refugee children. The analysis is supplemented by empirical research to further illustrate how legal provisions interact with practical realities, demonstrating how law, policy implementation, and social contexts influence the educational experiences of refugee children.

The thesis concludes that the inadequate realisation of the right to education is mainly due to the lack of a rights-based and child-centred framework within New Zealand’s legal and policy landscape. It proposes the adoption of a child rights-based approach that recognises the distinct interests and lived experiences of refugee children. Such an approach provides a holistic foundation for implementation and monitoring, ensuring that refugee children in New Zealand can adequately enjoy their right to education and consequently facilitate effective resettlement and integration.

text: The right to education and the resettlement and integration of refugee children in New Zealand: A legal perspective on the rights of refugee children This thesis examines the realisation of the right to education for refugee children in New Zealand, establishing the analysis within both international and domestic legal frameworks. It argues that despite New Zealand’s obligations under international law and domestic provisions safeguarding children’s rights, refugee children’s right to education is inadequately implemented and insufficiently monitored. While some measures exist, significant gaps remain, particularly the absence of a clear legal framework and a comprehensive, child-centred policy informed by refugee children’s rights.

Adopting a socio-legal approach, the thesis explores the extent to which New Zealand’s laws and policies protect the right to education of refugee children. The analysis primarily uses legal methods, examining legislation, policies, and practices. Sociological and educational perspectives will inform this to enhance interpretation and contextual understanding of education for refugee children. The analysis is supplemented by empirical research to further illustrate how legal provisions interact with practical realities, demonstrating how law, policy implementation, and social contexts influence the educational experiences of refugee children.

The thesis concludes that the inadequate realisation of the right to education is mainly due to the lack of a rights-based and child-centred framework within New Zealand’s legal and policy landscape. It proposes the adoption of a child rights-based approach that recognises the distinct interests and lived experiences of refugee children. Such an approach provides a holistic foundation for implementation and monitoring, ensuring that refugee children in New Zealand can adequately enjoy their right to education and consequently facilitate effective resettlement and integration.

year: 2025

title: The evidence and the rationale for the use of honey as wound dressing

authors: Molan, Peter C.

subjects: honey

abstract: Although there are now several brands and types of honey wound-care products available as registered medical devices, there is little promotional advertising of honey products for wound care. The misconception that there is no evidence to support the use of honey, which seems to be quite common, may be due to this lack of advertising, and to the systematic reviews that have been published on honey concluding that the evidence is of low quality and/or there is a need for more evidence. However, the same lack of high-quality evidence exists with all the other options that clinicians have for dressing wounds. This places practitioners in a quandary. When clinical evidence of the highest level is not available, then decisions on modes of treatment need to be based on whatever evidence there is available. This review outlines the 16 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of honey in wound care published since Molan reviewed the previous 17 in 2006, which bring the total of participants in the trials up from 1,965 to 3,556 and broadens the range of types of wounds on which trials with honey have been conducted. Another important factor influencing the choice by clinicians of which product to use on a wound is scientific rationale. This review covers the evidence and explanation of mode of action for various bioactivities in honey which aid wound healing: a very broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity that is effective on antibiotic-resistant strains; activation of autolytic debridement; anti-inflammatory activity; antioxidant activity; stimulation of growth of cells for tissue repair; and an osmotic action. The need for standardisation of these bioactivities is discussed.

text: The evidence and the rationale for the use of honey as wound dressing Although there are now several brands and types of honey wound-care products available as registered medical devices, there is little promotional advertising of honey products for wound care. The misconception that there is no evidence to support the use of honey, which seems to be quite common, may be due to this lack of advertising, and to the systematic reviews that have been published on honey concluding that the evidence is of low quality and/or there is a need for more evidence. However, the same lack of high-quality evidence exists with all the other options that clinicians have for dressing wounds. This places practitioners in a quandary. When clinical evidence of the highest level is not available, then decisions on modes of treatment need to be based on whatever evidence there is available. This review outlines the 16 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of honey in wound care published since Molan reviewed the previous 17 in 2006, which bring the total of participants in the trials up from 1,965 to 3,556 and broadens the range of types of wounds on which trials with honey have been conducted. Another important factor influencing the choice by clinicians of which product to use on a wound is scientific rationale. This review covers the evidence and explanation of mode of action for various bioactivities in honey which aid wound healing: a very broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity that is effective on antibiotic-resistant strains; activation of autolytic debridement; anti-inflammatory activity; antioxidant activity; stimulation of growth of cells for tissue repair; and an osmotic action. The need for standardisation of these bioactivities is discussed.

year: 2011

title: Rock-a-bye Baby: Infant care and parenting around sleep

authors: Jones, Horiana Majorie

subjects: Infant Sleep

abstract: This research is a part of a wider international study which explores infant sleep amongst various ethnicities and cultures. This study has explored infant sleep practices in New Zealand, with a specific focus on Māori child rearing practices. This study aimed to firstly, explore what techniques Māori parents use to get their ppi to sleep (2 months- 2 years of age). Secondly, this study aimed to understand the various factors that influence parents’ decisions to use their particular method e.g. Parent assisted approaches (rocking, co-sleeping, bed sharing breastfeeding to sleep), or self-soothing infant sleep methods (cry it out, controlled comforting). Mixed methods were used to collect the data for this study. Overall, 562 primary caregivers/parents completed the survey component of this study with 11 percent identifying as Māori. A further 10 were taken from the survey sample and participated in face to face interviews.  
The results show that parent assisted techniques such as rocking, lying down with baby, and feeding to sleep were the most practiced approach to infant sleep for Māori whanau across the survey and interview findings. Participants within the interview study that used parent assisted techniques to initiate infant sleep were also more likely to bed-share with their babies. Self- soothing techniques such as controlled comforting and cry it out were practiced by a number of parents within the survey and interview groups The findings from this study suggest that a number of different factors influence parenting style. Survey data found that culture, books, magazines, online material and advice from family were the most influential factors in parenting styles. The interviews findings suggest that the convenience of an approach, whanau influence, being a parent of more than one child, environmental factors, healthcare recommendations, safety and culture all influenced aspects of their approaches to infant sleep.

text: Rock-a-bye Baby: Infant care and parenting around sleep This research is a part of a wider international study which explores infant sleep amongst various ethnicities and cultures. This study has explored infant sleep practices in New Zealand, with a specific focus on Māori child rearing practices. This study aimed to firstly, explore what techniques Māori parents use to get their ppi to sleep (2 months- 2 years of age). Secondly, this study aimed to understand the various factors that influence parents’ decisions to use their particular method e.g. Parent assisted approaches (rocking, co-sleeping, bed sharing breastfeeding to sleep), or self-soothing infant sleep methods (cry it out, controlled comforting). Mixed methods were used to collect the data for this study. Overall, 562 primary caregivers/parents completed the survey component of this study with 11 percent identifying as Māori. A further 10 were taken from the survey sample and participated in face to face interviews.  
The results show that parent assisted techniques such as rocking, lying down with baby, and feeding to sleep were the most practiced approach to infant sleep for Māori whanau across the survey and interview findings. Participants within the interview study that used parent assisted techniques to initiate infant sleep were also more likely to bed-share with their babies. Self- soothing techniques such as controlled comforting and cry it out were practiced by a number of parents within the survey and interview groups The findings from this study suggest that a number of different factors influence parenting style. Survey data found that culture, books, magazines, online material and advice from family were the most influential factors in parenting styles. The interviews findings suggest that the convenience of an approach, whanau influence, being a parent of more than one child, environmental factors, healthcare recommendations, safety and culture all influenced aspects of their approaches to infant sleep.

year: 2017