School book created to remember the Rena maritime disaster

An education resource has been created to remember the Rena, and for students to learn about the impacts the disaster had on the area.

Ngai Te Rangi Education project manager Ngareta Timutimu said they had received funding from the Ministry of Education to develop a resource, with their focus being the Rena.

"We needed to develop [resources] which also validate our knowledge and our history and our tikanga.

"The Rena brought together the Maori community, even though the Rena was a disaster... Through the Rena some really positive community relationships were developed."

Ms Timutimu said the organisation felt the Rena disaster was a topic which allowed students to learn about Maori knowledge as well as Western science.

It took the team six months to pull the book together.

"It will encourage them [Maori students] to stand tall in their schools and achieve well, and also that it encourages local students to understand that actually, where we live is a whole lot of history and knowledge that they have never had the opportunity to learn before."

Mount Maunganui student Grace Elisara said the book was helpful when she was needing to learn which areas of the Bay of Plenty were affected by the Rena and how the disaster was caused.

Student Shinae Carrington said she used the resource to learn about the impact on the marine environment and wildlife of the area.