All in the timing

Stand with New Zealand

THE heinous attack on the mosques in New Zealand is a terrible reminder that there is no place for automatic weapons in any country that values the lives of its citizens. The Government’s decision to change the state’s gun laws before the election resulted in a public backlash fuelled by the long shadow of memories from the Port Arthur massacre.

Tasmanians are in the unenviable position to understand something of what our New Zealand cousins are experiencing. A tremendous mixture of emotions arises when the full import is revealed. That this latest carnage is fuelled by a hatred of people who follow the Islamic tradition is appalling. New Zealand is renowned for its tolerance of other religious traditions and those with none. However, there are people whose values are twisted and who act out of hatred towards anyone different to themselves. Every effort must be made to

Difficult home lives

EDUCATION is a human right for all children. Withdrawal of education is not an effective response to lateness. This appears to be a punishment delivered in frustration rather than good pedagogy. Perhaps a factor is under-resourcing the support needs of students. Many face difficult circumstances which affect the ability to engage with school. A high proportion of the most disadvantaged students have care responsibilities at home, for siblings, parents and grandparents. Students struggling to engage deserve support. Schools need more social workers, psychologists and teacher aides, which will also take pressure off teachers. INSTEAD of stating if students are five minutes late they will be suspended for a day, simply schedule class start time five minutes earlier. Everyone can be five minutes late and class will start on time.