The Privileges Committee has handed down the maximum punishment to the members of Te Pāti Māori for performing a haka in Parliament. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Parliament haka was just cultural expression
I am deeply disappointed at the decision by the Privileges Committee to hand down the maximum punishment to the members of Te Pāti Māori for performing a haka in Parliament.
It was their way of culturally expressing their anger and frustration at the insulting bill that had been introduced by Act Party leader David Seymour which was permitted by the Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon.
One can only imagine what punishment will be meted out to Brooke Van Velden for using the c-word in Parliament. Her behaviour was far more offensive than anything from Te Pāti Māori.
However, I will believe that when I see it.
Bruce Adin, Red Beach.
The numbers don’t add up
Currently, 86% of America’s workforce require only addition and subtraction and a basic knowledge of fractions on the job, and generally less than a quarter need advanced maths.
Added to that, a mere 5% of all jobs require calculus skills.
If we assume that similar job requirements apply here, then why are we press-ganging all New Zealand students into learning maths? For three-quarters of them, it will be a colossal waste of their time, taxpayer money, and even worse, a turnoff for many who will struggle to succeed at the expense of other subjects they may be strong in.
And all of this at a time when we have one of the highest student dropout rates without any qualifications in all OECD countries.
If the ministers of education don’t have any maths skills, the wastage is spelled out in the American statisics.
This is a deeply flawed one-size-fits-all dogma. It also ignores the fact that, in the case of maths, some children might not have the mental capacity to deal with the complexities of algebra, calculus, geometry and trigonometry. As a consequence, they could find themselves put under significant mental stress.
Gary Hollis, Mellons Bay.
Parents need to front up
“Our 5-year-olds are coming to school with oral language so low we can’t communicate with them.” Two new villains are being put forward to explain the “behaviour and oral communication issues” of new school entrants: Covid and the Government (May 14).
This argument is untenable. The Covid lockdowns in Auckland ended in December 2021 when the present new school entrants would have been about 1 year old, long before any school or the Government would have been involved.
So, what have the parents been doing between 2021 and 2025? Or does the family just grunt at each other?
The real culprits for not teaching their young children all these basic skills are surely the parents, who should start to front up to their responsibilities and not shift this duty to the stressed-out teachers.
Johan Slabbert, Warkworth.
Why blame Covid?
Regarding your headline “Embarrassment for our country” (May 14). We are told that schools are blaming Covid lockdowns for new entrants’ behaviour and low language skills.
Really? It would seem more like a missed opportunity for parents to spend time with their children and teach them basic life skills.
One can only wonder what the parents of these children were doing during this time.
Pauline Paget, Campbells Bay.
The impact of noise
When deciding if a helipad should be allowed in an urban environment, the effect of noise on health should be a consideration.
According to the World Health Organisation, noise is one of the leading environmental risks for physical and health problems after air pollution and has been linked to issues ranging from sleep disturbance to poor concentration to risk of metabolic and cardiovascular disease and dementia. It states that the main sources of noise include aircraft, trains and motor vehicles.
While some noise disturbance in urban areas is unavoidable, we can take steps wherever possible to keep this to a minimum. This means that at times it might be necessary to limit the rights of individuals for the good of the wider community.
Annette Perjanik, Mt Roskill.
The CBD might surprise you
Recently, I heard former Auckland mayor John Banks loudly complaining about the city’s centre on National Radio.
He described Queen St as a disaster and hardly had a good word to say about any new downtown development.
I wondered if this was just the inevitable bitterness of ageing and political irrelevance or something more. I have certainly heard plenty of negativity about Auckland’s downtown, mostly from people who like to drive through and rarely use it.
As a resident of the city centre for the past decade, I want to say how much it has improved as a place to live and socialise. Visually, it has improved dramatically.
The old Auckland of heavy traffic, narrow, crowded pavements choked by fumes, and little greenery are thankfully long gone.
Yes, progress can be unsettling for some, but those who are so down on all the changes should lighten up and come enjoy it. The grumpies just might find it’s not so bad after all.
Jeff Hayward, Auckland.