Differing views on Roxburgh village plight

YOUR editorial writer would have been well advised to do some basic research before writing such an inflammatory piece (ODT, 14.5.18).

Nowhere does it describe what exactly the village provides for the children who attend and how it is said to benefit them. There is no explanation as to how children benefit from being removed from family and school surroundings and taken to Roxburgh.

A perusal of the Stand website is similarly uninformative. But a September 2016 ERO report on Stand villages is much more informative. The report has a separate section on Roxburgh which is less than glowing and particularly critical of the village’s poor relationship with schools.

Schools are criticised for being uncooperative in supplying essential information about the children and Roxburgh’s reporting back to the schools is said to be vague and nonspecific and often months late.

At the time of the report, the village was severely understaffed and in fact two social workers resigned during the ERO visit. The report outlines the ongoing struggle to attract suitably qualified staff. As a result, the village could only take 14 students (out of a possible 21) for each fiveweek intake. Livein places are less than 180 annually.

The purpose of any state intervention must always be for the benefit of the children. The argument of Mayor Cadogan seems to focus on jobs in the Roxburgh community.

It is well established that poor behaviour of children can often be attributed to poor parenting. Why then is the prime focus of intervention not on the parents and their relationship with their children? Isolating children from their parents and caregivers in itself is likely to cause disruption and trauma in those relationships.

Ms Ardern is wise to reevaluate Roxburgh and consider replacing it with programmes fully engaged with schools, parents and caregivers.

The challenge to Ms Ardern’s Government is not to continue with a programme past its useby date, but to be brave and institute programmes to best serve the children.

David Polson

Dunedin

[Abridged]

REGARDING the possible closure of the Roxburgh children’s village, which I understand is now used to help children suffering from trauma and emotional problems, it must be a huge setback for the town and the local community.

It brings back vivid memories of this great historic facility in the ’40s, when it was called the Roxburgh Health Camp.

My young twin brother and sister who were born in Kaitangata in 1945 suffered for years after their birth from being underweight and always ill, until the local GP, Dr Chambers, suggested they be admitted to the Roxburgh Health Camp, where I think they remained for about a year.

During this time, the lovely caring staff nursed them back to health, and I’m quite sure that if it wasn’t for these wonderful people in Roxburgh, they wouldn’t have survived as long as they both did.

So congratulations to everybody who is involved in the fight to retain this grand children’s village, especially the Cadogan boys.

K. J. Hale

St Kilda

Kiwis in Australia

SO the prime minister will not financially assist young New Zealanders living in Australia because ‘‘there was no other government in the world’’ that funded another government to make welfare payments (ODT, 23.5.18).

It’s a pity her predecessor legislators didn’t have the same enlightened attitude in 1893.

Allan Golden

Dunedin