The HeART of the Matter

Film (Excerpts) – 2016

The HeART of the Matter looks at major changes in New Zealand teaching which began after World War ll. A group of bureaucrats and arts specialists set about introducing a "thoroughly bicultural and arts-centred education system" to schools — in contrast to the rote learning of the past. Combining interviews and archival footage, Luit and Jan Bieringa (The Man in the Hat) examine this period of radical educational reform, and ask what lessons can be applied to the present. In the excerpts above, pupils and teachers reminisce about their time in the classroom.

New Zealand needs a strong story that challenges the notion of the arts as a ‘frill’ in the educational process. Not arts or science — but both taught creatively for our children, students of all cultures, and the public at large to enhance and partake of the challenging future.
– Producer Jan Bieringa