title: Towards a promising future: Solomon Islands educators’ perspectives on the inclusion of arts and culture curriculum in schools

authors: Martin, Margaret Anne

subjects: Solomon Islands

abstract: In the Pacific Islands, ‘arts’ and ‘culture’ are not separate entities, since traditional Pacific cultures encode recollections of the past in song, dance, art and craft, naming and story-telling, all of which contribute to recording their histories. The encompassing nature of culture has drawn scholars to also recognise the role of education in transmitting culture. One’s view of the world and one’s place in it can be communicated to a young person through family, but also through arts education within schooling. When school curriculum only embodies a culture that is alien to the family culture of students, that curriculum may induce failure in its students. 
A concern about the cultural appropriateness and limited accessibility of school education in the Solomon Islands, has led to a process of major curriculum reform. One area currently in development is a proposed Arts and Culture Curriculum. This research invited five experienced Solomon Islands educators to take part in an interview process regarding their perceptions about the inclusion of an Arts and Culture Curriculum in Solomon Island schools.
The findings revealed that a key reason for the inclusion of culture within an arts curriculum in the Solomon Islands was the desire for locally situated, locally appropriate curricula that would place high value on the preservation of cultural identities and heritage skills. Secondly, the inclusion of non-academic, practical and creative educational pathways was being established in order to provide balanced opportunities in Solomon Islands schools. Findings indicated challenges to be overcome in order to further develop and implement this Arts and Culture Curriculum currently in draft form. Proposed implementation has implications for resourcing, teacher training, and processes of community consultation in curriculum development.

text: Towards a promising future: Solomon Islands educators’ perspectives on the inclusion of arts and culture curriculum in schools In the Pacific Islands, ‘arts’ and ‘culture’ are not separate entities, since traditional Pacific cultures encode recollections of the past in song, dance, art and craft, naming and story-telling, all of which contribute to recording their histories. The encompassing nature of culture has drawn scholars to also recognise the role of education in transmitting culture. One’s view of the world and one’s place in it can be communicated to a young person through family, but also through arts education within schooling. When school curriculum only embodies a culture that is alien to the family culture of students, that curriculum may induce failure in its students. 
A concern about the cultural appropriateness and limited accessibility of school education in the Solomon Islands, has led to a process of major curriculum reform. One area currently in development is a proposed Arts and Culture Curriculum. This research invited five experienced Solomon Islands educators to take part in an interview process regarding their perceptions about the inclusion of an Arts and Culture Curriculum in Solomon Island schools.
The findings revealed that a key reason for the inclusion of culture within an arts curriculum in the Solomon Islands was the desire for locally situated, locally appropriate curricula that would place high value on the preservation of cultural identities and heritage skills. Secondly, the inclusion of non-academic, practical and creative educational pathways was being established in order to provide balanced opportunities in Solomon Islands schools. Findings indicated challenges to be overcome in order to further develop and implement this Arts and Culture Curriculum currently in draft form. Proposed implementation has implications for resourcing, teacher training, and processes of community consultation in curriculum development.

year: 2013

title: An investigation of koi carp (Cyprinus carpio) movement in the Waikato region using laser ablation otolith microchemistry

authors: Blair, Jennifer Marie

subjects: Carp

abstract: The koi carp Cyprinus carpio is an invasive fish that has reached high numbers and biomass in the North Island of New Zealand, particularly in the Waikato region. This species has a variety of negative effects on aquatic ecosystems, increasing turbidity, uprooting aquatic macrophytes, and affecting water column
nutrient levels. Recent research in Australia and New Zealand has shown that adult carp, though largely restricted to small scale movements, are capable of moving long distances. Movement in adult carp may be underestimated by these studies, and comparatively little is known about the movement of smaller carp. This study examined the feasibility of using laser ablation otolith microchemistry to track koi carp movement and identify spawning areas.

Water samples from six locations (Lake Waahi, Lake Whangape, Lake Waikare, the Whangamarino River, and the Waikato River at Aka Aka and Rangiriri) were analysed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).
Significant differences between sites were found in the water concentrations of many elements. Koi carp were collected from the above locations, as well as from Opuatia Stream, Pungarehu Stream, the Maramarua River and Lake Hakanoa. The elemental concentrations in the asteriscus otoliths were analysed using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP-MS). Elemental concentrations in the edges and nuclei of adult koi carp and the edges
of young-of-the-year (YOY) koi carp were significantly different between capture sites. No significant differences were found in elemental concentrations between sites in the nuclei of YOY koi carp.

A discriminant function analysis (DFA) was carried out using the otolith edge
elemental signatures of koi carp. The model used Ba, Sr, Mg, Rb and Zn concentrations to differentiate between four capture locations: the Waikato River, Pungarehu Stream, Lake Waahi, and Lake Waikare and Pungarehu Stream. The DFA was able to correctly predict the capture location of 82% of koi carp using their otolith edge elemental signatures. 

The classification functions created using koi carp otolith edge signatures were then used as a training set to classify otolith nucleus signatures. The otolith nuclei of 80% of YOY koi carp were classified to their site of capture, suggesting they had not moved between locations. The majority of adult koi carp caught at Lake Waikare, Whangamarino River, Pungarehu Stream and Opuatia Stream had nucleus signatures matching their capture sites, indicating that these fish
originated from their capture location. Koi carp from other sites likely moved there from another location. The majority of adult koi carp (88%) caught at the Waikato River at Rangiriri had otolith nucleus signatures matching Lake Waikare
and Pungarehu Stream. Adult koi carp caught at Lake Waahi and the Waikato River at Aka Aka had otolith signatures corresponding to a range of locations. While some areas (Lake Waikare, Pungarehu Stream) appear to have resident koi
carp populations that likely originated there, others (Lake Waahi, the Waikato River) appear to have koi carp populations of mixed origin. These results indicate that Lake Waikare, Pungarehu Stream and the Whangamarino River may be
important sources of koi carp recruits in the lower Waikato region.

text: An investigation of koi carp (Cyprinus carpio) movement in the Waikato region using laser ablation otolith microchemistry The koi carp Cyprinus carpio is an invasive fish that has reached high numbers and biomass in the North Island of New Zealand, particularly in the Waikato region. This species has a variety of negative effects on aquatic ecosystems, increasing turbidity, uprooting aquatic macrophytes, and affecting water column
nutrient levels. Recent research in Australia and New Zealand has shown that adult carp, though largely restricted to small scale movements, are capable of moving long distances. Movement in adult carp may be underestimated by these studies, and comparatively little is known about the movement of smaller carp. This study examined the feasibility of using laser ablation otolith microchemistry to track koi carp movement and identify spawning areas.

Water samples from six locations (Lake Waahi, Lake Whangape, Lake Waikare, the Whangamarino River, and the Waikato River at Aka Aka and Rangiriri) were analysed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).
Significant differences between sites were found in the water concentrations of many elements. Koi carp were collected from the above locations, as well as from Opuatia Stream, Pungarehu Stream, the Maramarua River and Lake Hakanoa. The elemental concentrations in the asteriscus otoliths were analysed using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP-MS). Elemental concentrations in the edges and nuclei of adult koi carp and the edges
of young-of-the-year (YOY) koi carp were significantly different between capture sites. No significant differences were found in elemental concentrations between sites in the nuclei of YOY koi carp.

A discriminant function analysis (DFA) was carried out using the otolith edge
elemental signatures of koi carp. The model used Ba, Sr, Mg, Rb and Zn concentrations to differentiate between four capture locations: the Waikato River, Pungarehu Stream, Lake Waahi, and Lake Waikare and Pungarehu Stream. The DFA was able to correctly predict the capture location of 82% of koi carp using their otolith edge elemental signatures. 

The classification functions created using koi carp otolith edge signatures were then used as a training set to classify otolith nucleus signatures. The otolith nuclei of 80% of YOY koi carp were classified to their site of capture, suggesting they had not moved between locations. The majority of adult koi carp caught at Lake Waikare, Whangamarino River, Pungarehu Stream and Opuatia Stream had nucleus signatures matching their capture sites, indicating that these fish
originated from their capture location. Koi carp from other sites likely moved there from another location. The majority of adult koi carp (88%) caught at the Waikato River at Rangiriri had otolith nucleus signatures matching Lake Waikare
and Pungarehu Stream. Adult koi carp caught at Lake Waahi and the Waikato River at Aka Aka had otolith signatures corresponding to a range of locations. While some areas (Lake Waikare, Pungarehu Stream) appear to have resident koi
carp populations that likely originated there, others (Lake Waahi, the Waikato River) appear to have koi carp populations of mixed origin. These results indicate that Lake Waikare, Pungarehu Stream and the Whangamarino River may be
important sources of koi carp recruits in the lower Waikato region.

year: 2008

title: Intra-propositional relations and their signalling: An investigation of authentic Māori texts

authors: Whaanga, Hēmi

subjects: Language & education

abstract: I report here on one part of a research project that involved the investigation of a range of authentic Māori texts in terms of two types of meaning relation – those that operate within propositions (‘intra-propositional relations’) and those that link propositions or groups of propositions (‘inter-propositional relations’). The focus here is on intra-propositional relations (relationships within propositions). On the basis of the comparison of a number of intra-propositional relational models, a new model which draws inspiration from the work of Crombie is proposed and applied to a corpus of texts written in Māori, the emphasis being on the ways in which these relations are signalled in Māori.

text: Intra-propositional relations and their signalling: An investigation of authentic Māori texts I report here on one part of a research project that involved the investigation of a range of authentic Māori texts in terms of two types of meaning relation – those that operate within propositions (‘intra-propositional relations’) and those that link propositions or groups of propositions (‘inter-propositional relations’). The focus here is on intra-propositional relations (relationships within propositions). On the basis of the comparison of a number of intra-propositional relational models, a new model which draws inspiration from the work of Crombie is proposed and applied to a corpus of texts written in Māori, the emphasis being on the ways in which these relations are signalled in Māori.

year: 2010