The Inquiry

New Zealand’s government is making big changes to its education system. The aim is to reverse declining student achievement and give more opportunities to disadvantaged children. The subjects of reading, writing, maths and science form the core of the new curriculum. But there are concerns particularly among the Indigenous community that the Māori language, culture and identity have not been considered as an integral part of the reforms. And that in the longer term, a lack of access to Indigenous teaching might have repercussions beyond the classroom, in wider society.
This is not just an issue for New Zealand, decisions on heritage-based learning are of concern for Indigenous populations across the world. In Canada’s public school system, whilst courses in Indigenous knowledge are not mandatory, there are concerted efforts to include Indigenous perspectives in the curriculum. In the province of Ontario, children from kindergarten age up to the age of 15 to 16, learn about their Indigenous communities. However, it’s not the same story everywhere, so is Indigenous education at risk?
(Photo: Six children sitting on the floor of a classroom with their backs facing the camera listening to their teacher, Auckland, New Zealand. Credit: Fiona Goodall/Getty Images)
Contributors:
Dr Mere Skerrett, associate professor, school of education, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.
Dame Elizabeth Rata, professor of education and social practice, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Dr Lindsay Morcom, professor and Canada Research Chair in language revitalisation and decolonising education, faculty of education, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Dr Liana MacDonald, associate professor of peace studies and co-director of The National Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Otago, New Zealand
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier
Producers: Evie Yabsley and Jill Collins
Researcher: Amelia Cox
Technical producer: Nathaniel Danter
Production co-ordinator: Phoebe Lomas
Production Management Assistant: Liam Morrey
Editor: Tom Bigwood

Extreme heatwaves are becoming more frequent across the globe, not only in countries used to cooler climates, but also in those already familiar with significantly hotter temperatures.
Intense heat can have an impact on the human body, from heat stroke to dehydration to skin damage. Economies can suffer as drought conditions impact farming communities. Built up urban areas can exacerbate the temperatures caused by heatwaves. And it can further expose already existing inequalities in society.
There is advice out there on how to protect ourselves. There are tried and tested models of sustainable farming. Some urban spaces are being redesigned to accommodate heat extremes, and some major cities are taking action to address the imbalances caused by extreme heat. But do they all go far enough Can we live with extreme heat?’
Joining us on the programme are Prof Ollie Jay, director of Heat and Health Research Centre, University of Sydney, Australia; Lindiwe Majele Sibanda, animal scientist, chairperson of the Council of the National University of Science & Technology, Zimbabwe; Winston Chow, co-chair, IPCC Working Group II, professor of urban climate, Singapore Management University and Diana Liverman, professor of geography, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA.
(Photo: Two people walking with blue umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun in front of the Colosseum in Rome, Italy. Credit: Tiziana Fab/Getty Images)
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier
Producer: Jill Collins
Researcher: Amelia Cox
Technical producer: Cameron Ward
Production co-ordinator: Phoebe Lomas
Production management assistant: Liam Morrey
Editor: Tom Bigwood

Gold has been prized throughout history for its value and its beauty, which has also made it attractive to those prepared to exploit this precious metal for their own ends. The European Union recently banned the purchase, import and transfer of gold from Sudan, one of Africa’s largest gold producers, saying it had become a key source of financing for the country’s civil war.
And in other parts of the world where there are gold reserves, there can be similar exploitation. Many artisanal and small-scale miners are vulnerable to organised crime syndicates who find the risks of gold mining lower compared to those of drug trafficking.
And illicit gold is much easier to launder into the legal market, because it can be melted down with legitimate sources of gold and smuggled across borders, making its origins much harder to trace.
But the challenge for governments trying to enforce the law is how to protect those at the bottom of the chain and provide them with sustainable alternatives to illicit gold mining, whilst clamping down on the criminal groups behind the operation. So, can the illicit gold trade be stopped?’
This week, our panel includes Campbell Harvey, professor of finance, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA; Dr Dan Watson, research associate, International Institute for Strategic Studies, London, UK; Bram Ebus, consultant with International Crisis Group, founder and co-director Amazon Underworld, Bogotá, Colombia and Louis Maréchal, senior adviser on minerals and extractives, OECD, Paris, France.
(Photo: Gold nugget and gold coins. Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Presenter: Tanya Beckett
Producer: Jill Collins
Researcher: Amelia Cox
Technical producer: Cameron Ward
Production co-ordinator: Phoebe Lomas
Production management assistant: Liam Morrey
Editor: Tom Bigwood

Gene therapy has changed what is possible for people living with sickle cell disease. New treatments have shown that the condition can be successfully treated. But the therapy is costly and available to only a small number of patients.
Millions of people around the world still rely on early diagnosis and preventative medicines, with access to basic care remaining a challenge in many places, including sub-Saharan Africa, which has almost 80% of global sickle cell cases. Are we closer to gene therapy for sickle cell disease being accessible?
We speak to Dr Natasha Archer, director of the Sickle Cell Program at the Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, US; Dr Alexis Thompson, paediatric haematologist at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and a professor of paediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania, US; Dr Leon Tshilolo, professor of paediatrics and haematology at the University of Mbuji-Mayi, DR Congo and Prof Baba Inusa, consultant paediatrician in the School of Life Course & Population Sciences at King's College London, UK
(Photo: Cell lines are prepared in a laboratory in Maryland, US. Credit: Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)
Presenter: Daniel Rosney
Producer: Matt Toulson
Researcher: Evie Yabsley
Technical producer: Cameron Ward
Production co-ordiantor: Phoebe Lomas
Production management assistant: Liam Morrey
Editor: Tom Bigwood

Last year Kenya’s President William Ruto established a task force to investigate the escalating cases of gender-based violence including femicide. The task force travelled around the country gathering information and at the beginning of this year published its recommendations, which are now being debated in parliament. One of those recommendations is the legal recognition of femicide as a standalone crime.
UN Women, the United Nations agency which promotes the empowerment and rights of girls and women, have been working with grassroots organisations in Kenya on male engagement strategies, to change perceptions of the role of men and women. But the UN Women’s representative in Kenya, acknowledges that challenges remain.
In the meantime, women continue to march in protest and the country waits to see if President Ruto will implement the task force recommendations. So, is Kenya serious about ending femicide?
Contributors:
Shyleen Momanyi, executive director, Young Women’s Leadership Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
Dr Nancy Baraza, former deputy chief justice of the Republic of Kenya, senior law lecturer, University of Nairobi, chairperson of the technical working group on gender-based violence including femicide, Kenya
Consuelo Corradi, professor of sociology, Lumsa University, Rome, Italy
Antonia Sodonon, UN Women country representative, Kenya
(Photo: Protesters attend a rally in Nairobi demanding an end to femicide. Three women at the forefront, one wears a white T-shirt with "End Femicide" at the front, the middle woman wears a red T-shirt and is shouting, and the third is holding a banner with the slogan "Stop Killing US". Credit: Daniel Irung/EPA-EFE/Rex/Shutterstock)
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier
Producer: Jill Collins
Researcher: Evie Yabsley
Technical producer: Toby James
Production co-ordiantor: Phoebe Lomas
Production management assistant: Liam Morrey
Editor: Tom Bigwood