North Shore Times (New Zealand)
ILLEGAL RUBBISH DUMPING
The significant increase in illegal dumping across Auckland comes as no surprise as the city continues to rapidly grow with houses being squeezed onto every available piece of land with tiny sections, leaving people nowhere to store rubbish and inorganic material. The cost of using privately owned transfer stations can also be prohibitively expensive for many on low income being squeezed by rising rents, rates and electricity prices. If Mayor Phil Goff and Auckland Council want to take control of the illegal dumping issue and the risk it puts on the environment and communities, the council should build a modern waste to energy plant along with establishing it’s own free transfer stations across the city to supply it. The electricity produced could be sold to the national grid to help offset the cost of the operation and would be helping solve two of Auckland’s problems in one go.
Isaac Broome, Pukekohe
MISSING THE BEAT
I agree with Rob Stock’s point (January 23), enrolling our children in music with the distinct goal of them becoming ‘Little Mozarts’ or the next Beyonce is as ludicrous as expecting Rafael-esque fame from their weekly tennis lesson.
However, we don’t apply the same reasoning to their education at school. Are we expecting Nobel prizes from their science experiments, or a physics career based on their ability to memorise the table of elements or the digits of Pi?
Sadly, what this article brings to light is that the price tag is of lessons is making us question the value of music education. I agree that private tuition is expensive, and career-wise, pickings are slim for musicians wanting to make a full time income. So where does that leave us? We can either fork out for private music lessons, or take advantage of the subsidised music and arts classes that are funded around the country.
Unbeknownst by most parents, the Ministry of Education has targeted funding for music and arts classes to be offered to children at primary and intermediate school. The conditions specify that it must be offered outside of school hours, and must be made available to all children in the community, not just those at the host school.
There are four on the North Shore; Glenfield Music Centre, Belmont Music Centre, Mid-Bays Music Centre, and Birkdale North Music Centre. They have no advertising budget, so word-ofmouth is the primary advertising agent. They are able to offer weekly group classes to children for as little as $120 for the year. It is my hope that one day, learning an instrument should be part of the NZ school curriculum, like it is in Middle School (a 11-13) in the USA. It should not be seen as a luxury item, but as a necessity.
Perhap’s Rob Stock’s feelings stemmed from the fact that one daughter’s guitar learning didn’t ‘take.’ We don’t pull our children out of school after a year if they can’t write a novel. Would a musical education be more significant if it had NZ learning standards attached to it?
My advice to Rob and his family is to take a term off, then try again with a different instrument and teacher. And if he can’t shake the idea of needing payback, he can always charge them commission (read: Parent Tax) on their income when they’re old enough to face the music.
Khalia Strong, former student of Glenfield Music Centre and current centre manager
HAVE YOUR SAY
Letters should not exceed 250 words and must have full name, residential address and phone number. The editor reserves the right to edit, abridge or withhold any correspondence without explanation. Letters may be referred to others for right of reply before publication. Email: nsnews@snl.co.nz Mail: North Shore Times, PO Box 79, Orewa.