Teach them well

The New Zealand government will be teaching immigrants about New Zealand values, according to a Christchurch Press article (via Stuff). The programme will target immigrants from Asia, the Pacific and the Middle East before they get here as well as ones who are already here.

According to the article, the programme was inspired, in part, by race riots in Sydney, Australia’s Cronulla area in 2005 and the furore over the publication of cartoons portraying the Prophet Muhammad last year. New Zealand hasn’t experienced any similar problems yet, and both these incidents seem to me to have less to do with immigrants not knowing their new country’s values than with the new country not understanding its immigrants.

Nevertheless, in general the idea of educating immigrants about New Zealand values has got to be a good thing, and may well head off trouble in the future. Ethnic Affairs Minister Chris Carter said:

To date, we have been well served by the Kiwi “live and let live” attitude and the moderate nature of our minority communities. But the Government is concerned to ensure this remains the case as our society becomes more complex, and tensions flare elsewhere in the world.

So far, the plan doesn’t call for any compulsory tests, unlike other countries have. In fact, I can’t recall ever having to demonstrate knowledge about New Zealand, its culture, history or government. All I had to prove was an enduring link to the country.

In fact, Settlement Kits, which contain all sort of information about life in New Zealand, were given out only when permanent residence was granted, and for me that was several years after I arrived in the country. Some of it would have been helpful if I’d had it when I first arrived here. As part of the changes, the government is working to improve the information about New Zealand given to temporary residents, as I was for the first few years.

This is all such a big deal because 23 per cent of New Zealand citizens were born overseas. That’s one of the highest rates among countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Related to all this is an attempt to form a “national statement on religious diversity”. This statement will be aspirational, not law, and will promote tolerance and understanding.

Demonstrating neither, a New Zealand TV preacher claimed that it was “some type of treason” because, in his view, “Christianity” is the state religion of New Zealand. In fact, this country has no state religion, which means an official established church like the Anglican Church in England. New Zealand undeniably has a Christian tradition, but no established state church.

I think it’s a good thing for immigrants to learn about New Zealand values. But maybe it would also be a good idea to teach New Zealand values to certain Kiwis—like TV preachers, for example.