Cira Olivier: Tauranga Girls' College move to ditch male house names timely

Mahnoor Qadri (left), Annabel Robinson, Val Cooney, Marlene Ware, Julienne Taylor, Heather Marks. Photo / George Novak

OPINION

Everything about the day at Tauranga Girls' College was symbolic in the most beautiful way and refreshing against the male-dominated society we live in.

In my view, and with no disrespect, too many aspects of our society are formed for, by, and around men, particularly those of the middle-aged, white variety.

And while, yes, some have done some great things, honouring them shouldn't be at the expense of shadowing other great people.

Women nearing 80 who were captains of Tauranga Girls' College shared the stage with the today's young captains as the school yesterday made the historic move to ditch two houses named after men in favour of three women.

The old gifted their priceless time and stories, while the young gifted their attention and tokens in the form of the current school badges.

They held the same stands of balloons and released them - though only indoors due to aviation risks - signifying new beginnings.

It was also a moment of women cheering on other women, celebrating their success, and being inspired by their values.

The new houses will be Whina, Sheppard and Te Auetu, after Dame Whina Cooper, Kate Sheppard, and local woman Te Auetu Harata Hall. They will join the houses named after Jean Batten and Katherine Mansfield.

Lord Ernest Rutherford, the physicist, and war hero Lord Bernard Freyberg have been dropped as house names.

To call the five women, who the school has now named its houses after, inspiring is an understatement.

I was the captain of Anahera (angel) house in my West Coast Catholic high school, and resonated with the explanation yesterday that it was important for the girls to identify with the houses - because I didn't with mine when I was a student.

A lot of thought went into the change, and they not only named the houses after women who made an impact on the lives we lead today but were taking the time to deeply research and explain what it was they had done.

Toni Heke-Ririnui, from Ngāti Ranginui, worked with the school to share the story of Te Auetu and says the school's move progressively and bravely breaks down the norm.

"Going to iwi, have a Māori name as a house, and to be a woman at that, is quite progressive."

I couldn't agree more.

Heather Marks is 78 and was a student when the school became an all-girls college in 1958 and was there to represent Naera Naumann, who was the captain of Rutherford and has since died.

Though the name of her house, which she has many fond memories of, has changed, she believes the move is timely.

"It's also in the spirit of Rutherford because, as a nuclear physicist, he was renowned for always leaping into the future in new directions. And that's what we're doing."

"Walking into the future backward, and drawing into the future all that we had in the past."

Women celebrating women doesn't need to be as monumental as this either, it can be something as simple as recommending the small business owner on the corner, or telling your colleague she's smashed it today.

We can all learn something from this.