Lessons from a star

Baby Olivia Ware is the central figure in the "Roots of Empathy" programme at Glendene School in Waitakere City. Photo / Glenn Jeffrey

"Who is the most important guest today?" asked Glendene School principal Robyn Dunseath yesterday.

It sounded like a tricky question for 9- and 10-year-olds, as the guests in their classroom included Cabinet minister Paula Bennett, Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey, a phalanx of officials and journalists and the visiting founder of the Canadian "Roots of Empathy" programme, Mary Gordon.

But that was looking at it from an adult point of view.

The answer Ms Dunseath gave them was obvious: "It's baby Olivia."

And for the next half-hour the children were oblivious to everyone else as their eyes and emotions fixed on Olivia Ware, not quite six months old but the star of the classroom.

This was the fourth time they had met Olivia, and they will meet her five more times this year as part of a $900,000 experiment in 60 schools to see whether the Canadian programme can create a more caring, less bullying culture in largely Polynesian schools such as Glendene, as it has in largely white Canada.

"Hello, baby Olivia, how are you, how are you today?" the children sang as mother Ceirwyn Ware carried the infant around the circle, giving each child a chance to touch and connect with her.

They were prepared with a set of questions for Mrs Ware on the theme of sleep: Does Olivia fall asleep by herself, where does she usually sleep, does she cry at night?

Then Ms Gordon, sitting with the children and Mrs Ware, held a soft toy in front of Olivia and said: "Will she look at it, chew it or shake it?"

It took a few moments, but eventually Olivia clutched at the toy and gave them their answer. She chewed it.

When their time was up, the children stood up and sang another song as Mrs Ware carried Olivia around the circle again so they could each say goodbye.

Afterwards Ms Bennett, whose Social Development Ministry is sharing the costs of the experiment with the Education and Health Ministries, said the Government would have to decide whether the programme should continue beyond the end of this year when the pilot funding ends.

"Anything that grows emotionally and physically well children is positive," she said.

Ms Bennett also yesterday visited Te Whangai Trust, which employs unemployed people at Maramarua, south of Auckland, under the "Enterprising Communities" scheme, which was axed in the Budget.

She said she was impressed with the trust's work and wanted to talk to officials about ways it could be helped.