Wero

This is the wero - the challenge with weapons at the start of the powhiri, the traditional Maoiri welcome.

The 4th International Summit on the Teaching Profession opened in Wellington this morning with what we were later told was one of the largest and most colourful powhiri that many had seen. It was held in the marae on the roof of Te Papa, New Zealand's National Museum which is on the waterfront so there was a lovely cool breeze as we walked in procession into the marae after the waro with the karanga (the call) ringing in our ears.

Then we had a feast of speeches and songs with the response from the 20 Ministers and their delegations being led by the US Education Secretary Arne Duncan and the Netherlands Education Minister, Jet Bussemaker , both previous hosts of the event.

She is on the left in this picture and he is on the right. I wasn't standing just behind them because of the ferocity of the waro, but I was glad they were there !