More importantly, unlike many of my more mathematically endowed colleagues, I could explain over and over again - I knew what it was like not being able to get it the first time.
Perhaps, the Institute of Economic Research, with its focus on the baldness of statistics, may want to look at questions like this from the standpoint of what works in the classroom before they send a flutter through talkback heartland.
Tim Heath, Grey Lynn.
Modern learning
The recent revelations on the ignorance of our primary teachers regarding science and mathematics is truly disturbing.
Without understanding a subject it is hard to see how knowledge can be successfully passed to children. Maths and science are both a form of philosophy and are critical for the future of the country.
Ignorant teachers may be marginally better than none, but it appears that our education system, previously world-class, is fast becoming merely a babysitting service.
Primary education is critically valuable and the basics are much more important than art, and social “sciences”, while our politically correct but inaccurate history and mātauranga is actually actively damaging.
The new improvements in phonics usage are laudable, but there is a way to go. There is a very good case to pay teachers much better, it currently appears that by paying peanuts we are attracting too many monkeys.
Competent, motivated teachers are worth much more than backbenchers.
Neville Cameron, Coromandel.
Partisan servants
Is it time to consider fire-at-will for ministry chief executives? With this recent change in Government the public service has shown itself to be highly disruptive, unprofessional and unco-operative.
If they can’t behave like adults and professionally then allow ministers in the first six months following an election to fire their chief executives at will.
This is not as severe as in the United States, nor Australia. They’ve had to resort to this practice because their public services are highly partisan. Ours have now shown themselves to be like this or starting to move in that direction.
Bernard Jennings, Wellington.
Where’s justice?
To me it defies comprehension that when a thug walks into a restaurant and hits an 11-year-old boy, no doubt out for a good time with his family, over the head with a bottle of wine, a judge starts off with a sentence of 16 months and then reduces that to only eight months.
Unbelievable when the gravity of the offence allows for a five-year prison sentence and it makes one wonder how that judge would feel if it was their child on the receiving end and would they then factor in the usual remorse? Where is the justice here?
Paul Beck, West Harbour.
Saving grace
We continue to use interest rates to battle inflation. This inflates bank profits, hits the younger community hardest and is driving our economy backward.
We should consider other approaches. In my view we should make KiwiSaver compulsory and as we need to tighten up we simply increase the contribution - reducing money supply but putting it into savings, not bank profits.
Further, the council increasing rates by 7.8 per cent is damaging to the battle. Please reduce council sending, not core services but the so-called nice to haves, raised crossings etc.
Mike Single, Bayswater.
Home base
Cancelling First Home Start Grants is inconsistent with the Government’s trumpeted support for Social Investment.
The National Party used to believe that having a place to call home enabled family stability and thus built safe communities, cohesive schools, and productive childhoods.
Shifting the funds to building more social housing is the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff option. The $2.9 billion tax break for landlords would have a better source.
Making home base harder to reach, and favouring landlords, reinforces the sad fact we have a Government enabling property investors to turn us into a nation of renters.
This is not getting New Zealand back on track.
Michael Smythe, Northcote Point.
Handling error
Well done NZ Rugby on the scheduling of the Black Ferns vs Australia on Saturday at 2pm. The game only had to compete with all the normal Auckland and North Harbour club and school games but also with the Moana Pasifika game at 4.30pm.
Paddy Barratt, Rothesay Bay.
