Asians seek wellness support
Whether you realise it or not, you’ve probably quoted William Shakespeare this week.
Maybe you haven’t slept a wink, were sent on a wild goose chase, or had to be cruel to be kind – all of these phrases (and many more) have their origins in his plays.
After reports suggesting Shakespeare is no longer taught in some New Zealand schools, it appears the Bard remains a must-read for many Kiwi students.
Tania Hawes, head of English at Christchurch’s Riccarton High School and chair of the Canterbury English Teachers’ Association, said that although Shakespeare’s plays were no longer compulsory, they were still widely studied.
‘‘It’s taught slightly differently to what it once was – we tend to look at context and perspective far more than just dealing with it as a tale. That’s how we bring it alive for our students.’’
It would ‘‘theoretically’’ be possible for a student to complete their secondary education without reading any Shakespeare, she said, as teachers selected books or plays depending on the class.
‘‘The teachers choose text that they believe their students will respond best to.’’
At Christchurch’s Hornby High School, students have studied A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, The Merchant of Venice and Twelfth Night.
Principal Robin Sutton said most were read in full ‘‘for the beauty of the language’’ or ‘‘in a modern idiom’’. ‘‘To suggest Shakespeare has died in New Zealand is patently false, we are proof that it’s alive and well,’’ he said.
Associate professor Shef Rogers, who teaches at University of Otago’s department of English and linguistics, said Shakespeare remained ‘‘our richest source in English of insights about human nature’’.
At Wellington’s Rongotai College, Shakespeare is studied in year 9-13 English classes.
‘‘His works have rich language and universal messages,’’ principal Kevin Carter said. ‘‘We believe we would short-change our students if we didn’t offer them the chance to meet and read the world’s greatest writer.’’
A charity providing mental health support for Asian Kiwis says their needs are not being properly addressed by the Government.
‘‘Currently, the Ministry of Health has no policy for Asian mental health, which means no strategy,’’ Asian Family Services (AFS) national director Kelly Feng said.
A report from the chief coroner showed Asian suicide rates increased from 5.09 to 7.91 per 100,000 people in the year to June 20, 2020.
A 2019 report on understanding suicide in the Asian population said government mental health policies for Asian and refugee communities are under-developed.
Feng said the Government needs to ‘‘look at how [it wants] to respond to this population at a national level’’.
AFS received a short-term grant to help support Asians through Covid-19, but that ended in February.
The grant went towards running a helpline for Asians experiencing distress due to the pandemic.
Feng said there needs to be more sustainable government funding to address mental health issues among Asians.
‘‘Many [Asian people] don’t know the New Zealand health system . . . even if they know how to access [it], there is a lack of culturally appropriate services,’’ she said.
The high proportion of Asians working in international business and tourism – some of the sectors hardest-hit by Covid-19 – also meant many suffered financial difficulty which in turn impacted mental health, she said. Distress caused by discrimination and domestic violence was also more marked during Covid-19.
Counties Manukau District Health Board member Paul Young agreed the Ministry of Health needs to invest more in mental health services for Asian Kiwis.
‘‘I hope we can strengthen mental health support for Asian people, through education and awareness, more resources, and more research,’’ he said. ‘‘The DHB mental health services need to find out the needs [of Asians], not just give translation services.’’
Young said community organisations providing mental health support to ethnic communities should also be prioritised. The ministry said in a statement it 1737, Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 to talk to a trained counsellor.
Victim Support 0800 842 846.
Lifeline 0800 543 354.
Kidsline 0800 54 37 54 for people up to 18 years old. Open 24/7.
Youthline 0800 376 633, free text 234, email talk@youthline.co.nz.
received $15 million in Covid-19 response funding to address mental health and wellbeing.
It did not respond to a question about whether there are any funding boosts planned to address the mental health needs of Asian Kiwis.
The ministry also did not say whether there are any reviews of Asian mental health planned. The last time a review was commissioned by the ministry on this topic was 2002/03.
The Te Anau community has rallied around the family of a local policeman who is in a ‘‘world of pain’’ after suffering burns to 18 per cent of his body. Constable Kris Dale caught fire from a gas cooker which he was using to boil a stag’s head in his garage on April 9. Dale’s wife, Jamie, said he was a keen hunter and was boiling down the head as he wanted to display it with the antlers and it was a task he had done before. Hearing the gas bottle ‘‘flare’’, he had gone to turn it off but was engulfed in flames. Jamie Dale understood the gas bottle had been on fire. ‘‘He came running back past the house, we saw him on fire.’’ He ripped off his T-shirt and got into the shower. But unknown to her, he then ran back out to the garage, was thrown a fire extinguisher by a neighbour and extinguished burning blankets inside the garage, she said. The former volunteer firefighter suffered burns to his hands, arms, chest, neck and face, with his hands the worst affected with ‘‘full thickness burns’’, his wife said. His full recovery could take six months.