'New Zealand teachers are not alone with the growing demands being put on them by parental neglect.'
Turning teachers into parents
Confessions of a teacher as told to Greg Bruce (Canvas, Mar 15) would have struck a chord among many teachers of young children. And it begs the question, why are so many parents and caregivers unable or unwilling to nurture their children?
New Zealand teachers are not alone with the growing demands being put on them by parental neglect.
In England, for a number of years, teachers of young children in some deprived areas have supervised their students while they brushed their teeth once a day.
Now, a trial to encourage more children to brush their teeth while being supervised at school is being rolled out across the country,
In response the National Association of Head Teachers union said, “Caution was needed to avoid shifting what is ultimately a parental responsibility onto schools”.
Judging by the neglect of many little children’s teeth here, this will probably become another task for teachers to supervise, even though all children from birth until their 18th birthday are eligible for free dental care.
But that requires parents/caregivers to enrol their children for the free care.
If this does happen, however, we’d need to be aware of the complaints that would follow. The toothbrush is not the right colour, the toothpaste tastes awful, and so on.
Lorraine Kidd, Warkworth.
Real education
The surprise announcement that the Minister of Education wants new standardised tests for Years 3 to 10 is a concern.
Schools will be keen to prove how wonderful they are so school results will be released in league tables.
Parents will be eager to send their children to the ‘best’ schools (because the league tables prove it) so will look to move their child. Schools will begin to encourage teachers to get better results so they are likely to change their teaching to focus on the upcoming tests rather than learning the subjects.
They will teach to assessments, as many secondary schools are now for NCEA. The worst result will be the effect on students as we have seen with NCEA. There will be an increase in anxiety amongst students as the tests approach and some will be pressured by parents to ‘be the best’.
Will the tests be using pen and paper or will they be online with all the attendant costs and confusion that we hear about with NCEA? If there is pressure on students to achieve the best results, will they be tempted to cheat? What will be done if students are ‘sick’ on assessment day?
We will therefore have students who arrive at school at 5 years old and two years later they start being tested until they leave school. It is not a good move to have continuing assessments.
School is about creating an atmosphere where students enjoy learning - not a place where they dread attending.
As the careers and guidance teachers suggested a short time ago, NCEA is too focused on aiming for university and not on students learning for their lives after school which will not involve university.
Richard Cole, Waipu.
Child abuse
We read that evidence suggests 3-year-old Travis Mallett, on September, 18, 2018, was held under water in a spa pool, likely causing his death (Mar 15).
Someone knows what happened and yet once again in a child abuse case, it appears that the adult/s responsible are walking away free. According to paediatrician Dr Patrick Kelly there is a “significant issue with violence against children”. Further he says, “we should make this a priority”.
As shocking as the findings of the Abuse in Care inquiry were, let us not forget that children are still being abused and murdered in Aotearoa on a regular basis in their own homes. Is it okay for the rest of us to turn away?
The answer to that lies with each and every one of us.
Glennys Adams, Waiheke Island.
Defending dairy
Your correspondent Vivien Fergusson writes in criticism of the dairy industry, accusing farmers of increased methane emissions in pursuit of profits (Mar 20).
Ruminant methane emissions in New Zealand have been falling steadily since 2005. The country’s leading climate scientist and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change author states that all ruminants in New Zealand are contributing some three-millionths of a degree C per year. Other climate scientists claim that is too high.
To produce that minuscule amount of warming, dairy farms use huge quantities of CO2 from the atmosphere in photosynthesis and sequester some into the soil permanently. No other emitter does that.
No customer is forced to take our dairy products. Because we have the lowest carbon footprint of any food producer our dairy products are in demand and consumers are willing to pay more. Do you propose that farmers chase “losses” not “profits”? Those profits are employing thousands of Kiwis and causing the Matamatas and Ashburtons to thrive.
India does not produce some of the amazing added-value products made in New Zealand. Why shouldn’t they have access to these healthy, diversified options?
Owen Jennings, Papakura.
Survival instincts
What is it New Zealanders and, more importantly, the world is not getting?
Why are we rushing ahead in our busy lives to live the life we want without first setting up a safe environment? Jamie Morton reports scientific findings of rising global temperatures where the level given is near reaching point, the point of no return (Mar 20).
Our ice melts from rising temperatures, a consequence from humanity’s continuous use of fossil fuels, and these higher temperature rises into our atmosphere, we are being warned, will reach unbearable limits. But here we are, continually worried about our personal lives, showing our ignorance for the need to change the way we are living so our future is safe and secure.
But instead, we argue, fight, elect unsafe leadership that ignores the severity of our situation. They are non-believers the planet can’t afford. If our grumbling earth beneath our feet exploded once again, killing a few people, destroying buildings and livelihoods as earthquakes have a want to do, it would be front-page news.
Scientists Morton relies on to explain our dangerous behaviour are wringing their hands, trying to explain our threatened way of life. You’d think our survival instincts would come to the fore, but we’re not listening.
Emma Mackintosh, Birkenhead.
Vetting doctors
This coalition Government’s attempt to censor public health doctors by requiring they be “centrally vetted” in order to speak out on issues which have clear public health implications, such as the proliferation of toxic fast food environments, is a page right out of the Donald Trump playbook.
David Seymour is mean-spirited enough to call these dedicated public servants “muppets”. This attempt at censorship and the demeaning of expert opinion for the advancement of one’s own political agenda must be resoundingly condemned by all New Zealanders or these metastases of Trumpism will only worsen.
Perhaps Seymour is worried that concerned public health doctors might eventually turn their attention to the unpalatable, nutritional wasteland of his floundering school lunch programme?
Dr Art Nahill, Remuera.
Bus satisfaction
Recently returned to New Zealand, I now use my local bus service instead of driving.
I made the mistake of boarding a bus from Newmarket to Mt Eden at the time schools finish for the afternoon. It was full of tall young men from St Peter’s who, on seeing me get on to the crowded bus, appeared to engage in some pushing and shoving and loud voices. All very typical of their age, good future rugby players I thought and hung on to a rail.
Next minute, a path opened like the Red Sea, as they had cleared a seat for me. Last week a bus pulled out slowly as I arrived at Aotea Square. I returned to my phone and waited for the next bus, five minutes away, only to find a large bus driver beside me. “I’m waiting for you,” he said.
I couldn’t be happier with the buses, the drivers and the passengers.
Marie Keir, Mount Eden.
David Seymour should not be asking whether Jesus needs Act, but whether Act needs Jesus. Forget the hair and beard. Loaves and fishes, anyone?
Harold Russ, Totara Heights.
David Seymour has been complaining about councils wasting money, but has he considered the wastage of money and food of his school lunch deal? He must be saving his own grocery bill because every time he talks about the lunches on TV he seems to be eating a school lunch.
Rae Edgar, Mount Albert.
Ban scooters on footpaths. I am sick and tired of being endangered on my walk. Same goes for bicycles. It’s called a footpath for a reason.
Fiona Helleur, Milford.
Why doesn’t the Government accept the TAB’s offer for one of the online betting licences? It would go a long way to make up for the tax rebate they gave to tobacco companies.
Chris Cottingham, Te Henga.
So residents in Te Atatū are up in arms now that they have to travel 2.6km to a supermarket now that their local one is closing. Where I live the nearest supermarket is 90 km away. Get over it and adjust to the situation.
Garry Wycherley, Awakino.
After the mess Rodney Hide made of the Super City using ACT principles, would you want them anywhere near your councils, as they can’t even organise school lunches. Auckland has still not recovered.
Tom O’Toole, Taumarunui.
Television adverts continue to be louder than the programme one is watching on the assumption ads are heard best with a higher volume. I am grateful for one singular weapon to combat this intrusion into my peaceful viewing and that is the mute button on my remote.
John Ford, Taradale.
New Zealand ditched tariffs decades ago, so us entering into free trade deals is like a naked man walking into a game of strip poker.
CC McDowall, Rotorua.
Razor Robertson’s belated public acceptance of NZ Rugby’s outdated restrictions on overseas All Black candidates feels like “a save my job motivated” capitulation. Other international rugby teams such as South Africa have way more liberal regimes. This gives our opponents a definite advantage to the extent that while we keep to present policies we will keep on losing.
Larry Mitchell, Rothesay Bay.
In this modern world with genetic scientists unwisely thinking of bringing back a mammoth, moa and past extinct animals, I am delighted Sir Sam Neill lives in NZ - he will save us from these animals as Jurassic Park work experience will be needed.
Chris Mann, Mount Albert.
If the Government wants Auckland traffic to flow more freely, perhaps they can remove the ridiculous traffic lights that plague every motorway on-ramp.
Mark Young, Ōrewa.
Russian President Vladimir Putin doesn’t want peace, he wants Ukraine. Apparently Russia is not big enough. As for US President Donald Trump, the soap opera continues. In New Zealand we have, or don’t have, school lunches. Is it just me, or has the world gone nuts?
Peter Ellwood, Beach Haven.
When David Seymour becomes Deputy Prime Minister in a few months I wonder what will happen to his role as Minister of School Lunches. Maybe he could hand those duties on to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, seeing as how school lunches need to be imported from Australia.
Peter D Graham, Helensville.
Elliot Cameron killed his brother in 1975, but his past was suppressed until now.