Apec: Plenty to say as summit hits Net

By Warren Gamble

A disrupted university term, a day off work, or a chance for world peace - Apec means different things to different people.

The complex, sprawling world of Apec was cut down to size in an Auckland classroom yesterday.

At the launch of an Apec educational Web site at Kohia Terrace School, in Epsom, form one and two pupils had a practical handle of what the Asia-Pacific free-trade grouping could do for them.

Eleven-year-old Erica Donald said: "I know I will get a better range of products from different countries. Yeah, and better sorts of foods."

Classmate Germaine Philippsen was hoping for world peace. "I think it will be good because we will be more friendly with other countries."

The new Minister of Education, Nick Smith, fronted up to the combined class to launch the primary school Web site and answer prepared questions at a mock news conference.

As conferences go it was untypically polite, prompting the minister to say he was being let off pretty quietly.

But he had to admit defeat during questions on who would attend the September summit in Auckland when one pupil mentioned the President of the Philippines. He did not know who that was, and was relieved to find the pupil did not either.
(It is Joseph Estrada.)

Dr Smith was also caught on the hop when asked to name the 10 founding countries, seeking advice from an Apec official. But then he was not the minister responsible for Apec, he explained.

Dr Smith said New Zealand today was far removed from the British Empire outpost of old and that children needed to understand the new "global village," of which Apec was a part.

At the session's end, 12-year-old Nick Ash said the visit had been interesting and, while he thought Apec might bring better exchange rates and an improved economy, the subject itself was pretty boring.

But then maybe he was already thinking of his future - he wants to be a psychologist and "play with people's minds."

* The Web site address is www.apec.govt.nz/ep/index.htm.