Maaka Lacey, a Māori from New Zealand, appears as a supply teacher at Waterloo Road in Series 4 Episode 3.
History[]
Maaka takes over a Year 11 PSHE class that Davina Shackleton was temporarily taking due to his tardiness, immediately scrapping the lesson Davina was giving on stereotypes and starting a new lesson on Māori culture. Davina stays in the lesson at the back of the class, to 'shadow' Maaka.
Maaka and Davina clash when Davina calls Maaka out for laughing along with Bolton Smilie when Bolton makes a homophobic remark, and Davina uses the phrase 'where you come from', which Maaka takes as racist and reports to headteacher Rachel.
Later on in the lesson, Maaka performs the haka in front of the pupils, before autistic pupil Karla Bentham points out the fact that Māori culture is not on the syllabus and they are supposed to be learning about the Weimar republic, leading Maaka to snap at her. Davina tries to explain Karla's Asperger's to Maaka, but he dismisses Davina from the lesson.
Later, Maaka gets lazier and lazier, allowing pupils to do what they want and even letting some take breaks mid-lesson, particularly more troublesome pupils like Earl Kelly, so that he doesn't have to deal with their troublemaking. Earl wanders off and ends up winding up Tom Clarkson into grabbing him up against a wall and almost punching him. When Eddie hears about this, he realises that Maaka has not been adhering to his instructions, specifically the strict instruction Eddie gave him not to let Earl out of his sight.
Rachel and Eddie go to Maaka's class, where it is clear he is showing no attempt at discipline, letting pupils lounge around reading magazines and laughing with each other. They remove Maaka from the room, with Davina taking over the class, and reprimand him for his laziness, firing him for not caring enough about actually doing his job properly. He snaps that he wouldn't come back if they begged him, and storms off. He is not seen again.
Quotes[]
- "Hi! Maaka Lacey. You must be Rachel. What a journey! Two hours to travel 20 miles!" (first line)
- Bolton: "Nah, this is so gay, sir!"
- Maaka: "I can assure you, there's nothing gay about the hongi."
- Bolton: "So why've you got me rubbing him up, then?"
- Maaka: "Homophobia, as you call it, is endemic in all human culture."
- Davina: "Well, it may be endemic where you come from, but we have a code of conduct in this school."
- Maaka: "See, where I come from, you'd be guilty of the same thing you accuse those boys."
- Davina: "I'm sorry?"
- Maaka: "Prejudice."
- "'Racism' is such an emotive word, I don't use it lightly. But I think Davina is guilty of subtle racism. Hard to identify, but just as pernicious."
- "Let me tell you something, young lady. If the Māori culture isn't on your syllabus, then to coin a phrase, IT BLOODY WELL SHOULD BE! And when I'm in charge, I'LL tell YOU what is and isn't on the syllabus!"
- "Your kids? You talk about them like they're little angels. Half of them are a bunch of whining little bullies. And the other half don't even have the brains they were born with. No worries. I wouldn't come back here if you begged me." (final line)