Letters: Better funding for learning support will help improve school attendance

Should we be looking to make it harder to change existing legislation? Photo / Mark Mitchell

Letters to the Editor

Better support will improve school attendance

The funding announced by David Seymour to support student attendance is needed but, unfortunately, the problem is more complex than hiring more enforcement.

Most parents want their children to attend regularly but many encounter problems in making them go to school.

One of the reasons behind school refusal can be learning difficulties. As reports by the Education Hub and ERO have highlighted, some schools are not meeting the needs of neurodivergent students. When this happens, avoidance can result, and then the problem will be compounded by students falling further behind and becoming even more avoidant and anxious.

As the senco (special educational needs coordinator) of a large, ethnically diverse secondary school, I believe that putting money into learning support would go a long way towards combating attendance problems.

Successive governments have underfunded learning support. With well-trained teacher aides in every class, learning difficulties could be better addressed, reducing the stress on teachers, students and their parents.

Belinda Kusabs, Massey.

Is this how democracy works?

The legislation on pay equity just passed makes one wonder again whether we are living in a democracy or a dictatorship.

Over the decades, we have seen incoming governments scrap programmes and reforms of the previous one. Somehow or other, they lose sight of what their role is and become a dictatorship whereby the people who elect them become pawns in a game of tit-for-tat. Consultation becomes a word only and good ideas are confined to the fortress called the Beehive.

No government is exempt from these practices.

There needs to be a process where, for example, a 75% vote is required to change certain legislation regardless of who initiated it. Until then, those in power will still think they are playing Monopoly or Deal or No Deal.

Reg Dempster, Albany.

The cost of healthcare

Primary health care is the backbone of Kiwi health, not hospitals. Why would Thomas Coughlan (May 17) quote hospital nurses’ salaries and not the primary health nurses we all need when denigrating a Green health initiative? Nurses are retiring in droves or leaving New Zealand, and that’s likely to be exacerbated given parity is history now. A dying primary health profession in a positive feedback loop?

The Herald on Sunday editorial quoted Coughlan stating generically that nurses would lose money. Not all nurses are equal, but irrespective of that, they are inextricably linked. Delays in primary health overload EDs. As retention issues increase for primary and secondary, the remainder are worked to the bone, a positive feedback loop.

Coalition tax cuts or the Greens’ alternative? Taxes or increased charges must cover the cost of a growing number of people needing more expensive health interventions.

Steve Russell, Hillcrest.

Time to act

The daily average number of those Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in Gaza is 90 plus, and the United Nations states that 70% are women and children.

After 16 months of brutal onslaught, now including starvation, inside a walled enclave, isn’t it about time our Government spoke up regarding this great atrocity of our time? At the very least, by demanding a ceasefire, applying sanctions and expelling the Israeli ambassador?

That is the obvious route for a last-ditch attempt to be on “the right side of history”.

Liz Eastmond, Waiheke.

Standing by helpless

Countries stand by helpless as the Israelis bomb and shell Palestinians at will in Gaza.

Rather than negotiate the peaceful return of the hostages, Israel has cynically used them to justify this slaughter.

The use of starvation and destruction amounts to eradication and annihilation.

We have protested through the United Nations (an organisation long ignored by the Israelis) to no effect. It’s time to send their ambassador home and close their embassy. A token gesture maybe, but at least we can say we did something.

Allan Bell, Torbay.

Return the hostages

A UN spokesperson suggests that Israeli action in Gaza could be claimed to be genocide. It should be noted that Hamas and like-minded Islamic extremists would be delighted to eliminate Israel if they had the ability to do so.

Also, Hamas could end the destruction right now if they returned the hostages.

Derek Paterson, Sunnyhills.

Stop the bullying - all of it

Thank you to the organisers of the Pink Shirt Day for encouraging people to speak up, stand together and stop bullying.

Let’s take it up a notch and issue a challenge to every person in this country: if you are really serious about improving society’s attitudes on this insidious issue, then take a good look in the mirror and ask yourself whether you have ever contributed to bullying and intimidating behaviour against someone else. It doesn’t matter if it is at home, on the street, at work, in the playground or on social media. If you have done so, then now’s the time to stop. Right now.

Then you can honestly say you are speaking up and standing against bullying.

Pene Ashby, Whangārei.