NZ Scholarship Top Scholar Awards
May I begin proceedings by greeting everyone in the languages of the realm of New Zealand - in English, Maori, Cook Island Maori, Niuean, Tokelauan and New Zealand Sign Language. Greetings, Kia Ora, Kia Orana, Fakalofa Lahi Atu, Taloha Ni and as it is the afternoon (Sign).
May I specifically greet you: Hon Chris Carter, Minister of Education; Sue Suckling, Chair of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority; and Dr Karen Poutasi, Chief Executive of NZQA and your deputy Bali Haque; Dr Graham Stoop, Chief Review Officer of the Education Review Office; Anne Jackson, Deputy Secretary Schooling for the Ministry of Education; Tamati Cairns, NZQA Kaumatua; Scholarship recipients and your friends, family and whanau; Distinguished Guests otherwise; Ladies and Gentlemen.
It is with pleasure that my wife Susan and I welcome you Government House in Wellington for this presentation of the New Zealand Scholarship Top Scholar Awards.
Today we celebrate the success our nation's top young scholars who have achieved the top mark in one or more Scholarship subjects.
You are the highest achievers in your age for New Zealand, and it is an honour and pleasure to again host these awards as a way to recognise your considerable accomplishments.
I welcome you once again and hope you enjoy this special occasion.
Main speech after awards:
Tena koutou, everyone and congratulations to you all.
The New Zealand Scholarship Top Scholar Awards recognise one area essential to the progress, not only for each person, but the country as a whole—is that of education.
Education is the cornerstone of civil society. This thought about the value of education was famously put by the Chinese philosopher Kuan Chung 2,500 years ago when he said:
"If you plan for a year, plant a seed. If for ten years, plant a tree. If for a hundred years, teach the people. When you sow a seed once, you will reap a single harvest. When you teach the people, you will reap a hundred harvests."
Education gives us the power to become everything we want to be and everything we can be. It gives us the opportunity to realise potential and to stretch talents in the best possible way.
Education also builds our country's economy, and our society and democracy. Sustained growth comes from innovation and adaptation, both of which require a well-educated population.
And a strong society and democracy requires people who can debate issues and question their leaders and, as it is said by some, keep things honest. The fourth President of the United States, James Madison, who is regarded as a principal architect of the United States Constitution, once observed:
"What spectacle can be more edifying or more seasonable, than that of Liberty and Learning, each leaning on the other for their mutual and surest support?"
These awards are also a visible representation of the wider community's investment in your education and the obligations that flow from that. You are embarking on a tertiary education, an exciting period in your life, which gives you the power to better yourselves.
But once you have completed your studies you will have it in your power to use the knowledge and skills you have gained to also improve the communities you will serve and will make our country—or wherever life takes you—a better place.
It is with pleasure then that I congratulate all the award winners, the eight premier award winners and the 27 top subject scholars, five of whom have won multiple awards.
Some of you have come a considerable distance to be here. I am advised that Sam Bookman has taken a short break from a year-long personal development stay in Israel to attend this ceremony.
I have endeavoured to find out a little more about more than one of the awardees and I am impressed, not only with their obvious academic excellence, but their broad range of activities and achievements outside school. Among us today, we have gifted debaters, photographers, athletes, artists - you are people who taking on life to the fullest, whatever activity you're involved in.
To illustrate this point, I will give just a few examples of the amazing diversity of achievements you represent. For example, I understand the Top Scholar Geography, Paul Smith, was a Regional Rockquest winner with his band, Zitty, whilst half a world away, two awardees, Chuan-Zang Lee and Michael Plunkett, won silver and bronze medals at the 39th Chemistry Olympiad in Moscow last year.
In testimonials provided by principals and deans, there is also a strong common theme outside academic achievement - that is a theme of leadership.
Many of you have already proven yourselves as leaders in your schools, now many of you are moving beyond that environment to the wider world and I have little doubt that you will be among our country's leaders of tomorrow. Among the goals some of you have set, some have said they want to change the world. It's a big world to change, but in your cases, you are well on the way to gaining the skills to do just that.
And on that note, I cannot think of better comment with which to conclude than one associated with a wonderful New Zealander, the late Dame Whina Cooper, whose words on the responsibilities of leadership capture this point well. As quoted in the late Dr Michael King's biography Whina she said:
"I can't sleep at night, because even at night I'm worrying about things and planning things. It's the mana, you see. If you've got it, it never lets you alone. You have to be thinking about the people and working for them, all the time."
And on that note, I will I close in New Zealand's first language, Maori, offering greetings and wishing you all good health and fortitude in your endeavours. No reira, tena koutou, tena koutou, kia ora, kia kaha, tena koutou katoa.
After the formalities are completed, I would like to invite you to enjoy the ambience of Government House this afternoon. This building opened 98 years ago and has housed 19 Governors or Governors-General and houses many artefacts and art works that reflect New Zealand's history and culture. Thank you.
Can I now invite you to stand and join in singing the National Anthem, God Defend New Zealand in Maori and in English.