Teaching not exactly child’s play
A 5-year-old has a meltdown, wrecking a classroom, the teacher takes all the other children outside as she is not allowed to restrain the child. An 8-year-old tells her teacher, “I f***ing hate you and I am not f***ing. doing that”. Children of 7 and 8 who have the reading age of 5 but have no teachers’ aid or extra resources available to help. They are in a class of 28, many of whom have learning difficulties and you, as their teacher, are trying to teach them not only skills such as maths, reading and writing, but also social skills such as not beating up classmates.
There are kids who hate school holidays, not knowing if they will get breakfast or lunch as they do at school — but do not put down their parents until you have walked a mile in their shoes. Add in mountains of paperwork and you have a job as a teacher. Yes, teachers are asking for more pay and to raise the low pay ceiling put on their skills and dedication, but they are also pushing for more resources for their kids — something the media seems to overlook.
If you think a teacher’s life is easy, sit in a decile 10 classroom for a week. Political correctness has gone overboard, and the teaching profession is now one where teacher safety is on the bottom of the Education Authority’s priority list. Small wonder we cannot get teachers.
Trish Coates, Waihi Beach.
Exemplary care
I refer to the article, “Pressure so grim doctor spent lunch crying in loo”, in the Weekend Herald. The situation of Dr Shand, as reported, is distressing. The fact that Dr Fernando, drawing on his extensive research, affirms Shand’s situation is the norm, not the exception, is worrisome. It is imperative the authorities heed Fernando’s findings and urgent remedial actions are taken.
However, I wish to draw attention to a medical unit and team of staff at the other end of the spectrum. My mother, 82, was admitted to the Adult Transition Rehabilitation Ward at Middlemore Hospital two Tuesdays ago. She passed away there last Friday. During those 11 days, she consistently received truly extraordinary care, support and attention from the doctors and nurses.
That ward’ doctors and nurses work in an environment that imposes a monumental level of emotional burden and stress on them. Despite this, they all perform their duties of providing care and support in an exemplary, highly positive, responsive way. Moreover, the civility and camaraderie among them was clearly evident. I urge the authorities concerned to take a close look at the team of doctors and nurses in the ATR Ward 5 in Middlemore as an outstanding operation.
John Samy, Mellons Bay.
Opens the door
The decision by the Immigration Minister to grant residency to a drug smuggler with a conviction in the Czech Republic invites all known baddies from around the world to come. What “privacy and legal reasons” has the minister hidden? We have a right to know why such a decision was made and the consequences of such a decision. What if the person turns rogue again? Who will be responsible? Do not hide behind, and abuse, the Privacy Act.
James Andrew, Bucklands Beach.
Abortion
There has been much said recently about “a woman's right to her own body”. But what about the child's right? Birth control is freely available. In my day it was very difficult and even when the pill became widespread it was looked down on by many. Act responsibly and prevent a child being conceived rather than killing it later.
T. France, Katikati.
Williams’ faith
It is disappointing to see the ongoing criticism of Sonny Bill Williams, often with direct or indirect reference to his faith. The L.A. Meech letter is the latest and centres on SBW’s actions during the national anthem. The writer wonders if an atheist “would be tolerated” if he acted like SBW.
Given that almost half of Kiwis do not affiliate with any religion, and on that basis a good many All Blacks might well be atheist, the logic of the point is not exactly clear — unless it is criticising a Muslim for being different. Often it seems his faith is a prelude to a critique of his display on the field. It is great that our team reflects our diversity. Paul Spoonley, Torbay.
Bus scrape
To the gutless bus driver who scraped my car turning from Railside Ave into Dora St, Henderson, on September 11, the repairs cost $3400. I had to pay $300 excess and lost my no-claims bonus. So well done for not fronting up and leaving your details.
The scrape was seen by a lady who left details on my windscreen. She was directly behind you and heard your bus hit the rear of my car. She also saw you slow and stop and thought you would leave your details. Unfortunately, all she got from your bus was “Not in Service”, no registration number. And Dora St is not even on a proper bus route, just a shortcut back to Railside Ave. No wonder bus drivers have a bad name.
John Farry, Court Registry Support Officer/ Criminal, Auckland District Court.
Pressure on doctors
I truly do understand that hospital doctors are under too much stress. Articles like the one in Saturday’s Herald have appeared many times over the years. What I do not understand is why the hospital A&E triage system does not reduce demands on hospital doctors by declining to accept patients that can easily be treated by their GP. This abuse of the A&E system is of longstanding but why? Doctors may feel ethically bound to treat all comers but it is surely a worse wrong to clog up the system causing doctor stress and thus risk substandard treatment of patients who GPs are unable to help.
Alison Beer, Whangaparaoa
Gender balance
Every Saturday I play a depressing little game of “how many pages of the sports section will it take to find a photo of a sportswoman”. This week it wasn't the usual one on page three, it wasn't two or three, it was none, zero, zilch. No, the female horse, doesn't count.
You clearly need to employ someone specifically to monitor some gender awareness every Friday before publication. On the same day, Saturday, I had a blast watching the netball fives, after watching the woman's golf. Sky TV is coming to the party, come on erald, start to be part of the change in giving women's sport some media coverage.
Surely at least 50 per cent of your readers are female? I hope this is the very last time this happens.
Samantha Cunningham, Henderson.
Fuel prices
Oil prices are coming down, pressured by stock market weakness and pledges by top oil exporter Saudi Arabia to meet the demands of the world's oil consumers. Benchmark US crude fell 66c to $66.67 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It gained 51c to $67.82 on Thursday. Brent crude, the benchmark for international oil prices, dipped 53c to $76.37.
Then why is that when other countries in the world are reducing the price of fuel, in New Zealand the fuel price is going up? Fuel companies are cheating the public and the Government is turning a blind eye since they get more and more on GST.
Mano Manoharan, Hamilton.
Doctors exhausted
Saturday's report of conditions for hospital doctors was only too true. One thing omitted was the appalling fact of how long this has been going on. I graduated in 1958, half way through last century, and had the same experience.
Medical graduates were only provisionally registered for two years and had to work in hospitals which could treat their slave labour as they wished.
In one public hospital we were jammed two per room so that if you alternated on night duty (after working all day) the porter woke you both up for every night call for either person. There was rarely a “night doctor” shift.
Years later, house surgeons protested by working to rule and achieved better conditions. It seems that was only temporary. “Managing burnout” needs to be replaced by preventing burnout. But I wouldn't hold my breath.
Dr Harold Coop, Remuera.
Fireworks
The council is supposed to be making a decision about the ending of fireworks. However, it is suspiciously mute. Will we have the three-month continuance again? The crackers of 30-40 years ago were not loud bombs, they were a different make and more charming. Have we got a council with the balls to end the sleep disturbing nonsense heightened by daylight saving?
Tony Ward, Mission Bay.