Education priorities
So it's NCEA time and the media have failed to highlight a recent article that 40 per cent of NCEA graduates failed a literacy test and 42 per cent were functionally innumerate.
These students may be good at other subjects but they don't know the basics of life.
On the other hand, Green Party leader Marama Davidson recently committed the party to teaching Māori language in all primary schools by 2025.
The Greens fail to realise that schools have other priorities such as having sufficient teachers, paying them adequately, special needs assistants, supporting teachers in disciplinary matters, plus that Māori language has been available in secondary schools for many decades.
These are additional priorities to simply concentrating on English literacy and numeracy as number one.
Fair enough to promote Māori language in a social sense but it is not needed for most vocations and thus, in my view, it will never put food on the table.
I find it hard to believe the extent that New Zealand has botched its education system which is so vital to our future wellbeing. I also feel sorry for the Greens voters whose grandstanding politicians have, in my opinion, failed the commonsense test.
Bill Capamagian
Tauranga
Get tough on phone use
We read every day about phone use while driving, and at the same time we read about how we should address the problem and punish the perpetrators.
Up to now, there is no plan to work to, no national or regional agreement.
My humble suggestion for the BOP mayors, is to urgently get together and
put the following measures in place under an emergency bylaw for the safety of all BOP residents.
This plan will also give us a test bed for the rest of our country, and we will certainly need it if so-called recreational cannabis hits the roads - imagine the tragedies that will bring to our roads.
My driver and phone proposition is simple: Hurt the offenders in their pockets.
First offence, $750 instant fine. Second offence, $1500 instant fine
and loss of phone. Third offence, loss of car and phone, 100 hours' community work.
How about that for getting their attention?
C'mon mayors, let's do this!
Russell McKenzie
Papamoa
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