Written By: - Date published: 7:05 am, April 19th, 2011 - 61 comments
The Kea “Census” of expat Kiwis is under way. Unfortunately it coincides with government plans for a Crackdown on student loan repayments. Instead of chasing our expats for an entirely hypothetical return, we should be reaching out to them, embracing them, making them welcome back home.
Written By: - Date published: 9:16 pm, April 15th, 2011 - 30 comments
1000 economists have written to the G20, about to meet in Washington, and to Bill Gates, asking for a tax on financial transactions known as a Tobin tax after its originator, or a Robin Hood tax as it is known in the US. 4 New Zealanders are among the 1000; Prue Hyman, Stefan Kesting, Peter Conway, and Petrus Simons. Good on them.
Written By: - Date published: 6:43 am, April 5th, 2011 - 41 comments
Under Key’s government we are seeing an escalation in violence committed by children. Why? TV and media violence hasn’t noticeably step-changed in the last year. More likely it is a symptom of the stress that families are under. Children are the canaries in the coal mine…
Written By: - Date published: 8:25 am, April 3rd, 2011 - 80 comments
The economy, shall we say politely, is facing some difficulties. With a National government there was no plan as to how to weather the economic storm, we just got tax cuts for the rich and an economy that just can’t get growing.
Written By: - Date published: 11:32 am, April 1st, 2011 - 21 comments
In the last Budget, National cut the corporate tax rate to 28%, which costs $400 million a year and comes into effect today. It also cut $200 million a year from early childhood education and tertiary funding in the same Budget, while borrowing billions. When the government cuts public services it is because it chooses …
Written By: - Date published: 7:17 am, March 31st, 2011 - 113 comments
Bill English wants to cut things that are “nice to have”, like the adult education classes (that he used to praise in opposition), and keep “necessities”, like tax cuts for the already wealthy. This is the kind of economic “wisdom” that has Bill leading us into an all time record budget deficit.
Written By: - Date published: 12:42 pm, March 21st, 2011 - 41 comments
There was already going to be too little money in Budget 2011 for maintenance of public services. Now what little there was is being further slashed in the name of Christchurch. An Earthquake Levy is not an option, rather we’ll all pay through increased borrowing and 25% cuts in services like police, transport, justice and social services.
Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, March 18th, 2011 - 57 comments
I was going to have my first post on the economy, but that will have to wait until the weekend as I’m all inspired after hearing Judy Bailey give a Brainwave Trust presentation this week. The incredible importance of providing the best possible start to our children in those very early years was good to have reinforced…
Written By: - Date published: 6:35 am, March 10th, 2011 - 45 comments
National are to allow battery farming style early childhood education. From July the government will allow 75 stressed under-2 year-olds in one room, unable to form a relationship with any one teacher.
Written By: - Date published: 3:33 pm, February 1st, 2011 - 23 comments
Today is the day that Anne Tolley’s $400 million dollar cut to early childhood education bites. A sector which delivers $13 value for every $1 invested is really going to hurt. Centres themselves are having different responses: 90% of centres are definitely raising fees – between $2 – $80 per week, with an average of …
Written By: - Date published: 10:37 am, February 1st, 2011 - 26 comments
The early childhood education cuts have hit – families will face an average $20-$45 a week increase in the cost of sending a kid to kindy. And Anne Tolley is signaling more to come. But it’s not just the education of the next generation that’s for the chop as National seeks to balance the books after its tax cuts for the rich binge.
Written By: - Date published: 2:42 pm, January 26th, 2011 - 26 comments
Whilst John Key’s raising of privatisation is the first focus of his State of the Nation speech, perhaps equally as important is his intention for swingeing cuts to public services. Health and Education will have to pay higher wages from the same budget, but the likes of Police, Justice, Conservation and Social Services can expect cuts of more than 10%.
Written By: - Date published: 10:59 am, January 24th, 2011 - 17 comments
Today’s Herald editorial explores Auckland Grammar’s decision to ditch NCEA in favour of the Cambridge exams and the support this elitism, which undermines the NCEA system, has received from Anne Tolley. Never shy to give helpful advice to its favoured PM, the Herald tells Key it’s time to rid himself of the incompetent Tolley.
Written By: - Date published: 2:16 pm, January 23rd, 2011 - 31 comments
The international evidence that National Standards don’t work is conclusive. Only 20% of schools are ready to implement them and over 300 schools are refusing all together. What’s our Minister for Education’s response to the objections of people who have dedicated their lives to education? A declaration of war – using the kids against the teachers.
Written By: - Date published: 10:33 am, January 20th, 2011 - 44 comments
Auckland Grammar School (that most private of public schools) has decided that NCEA isn’t good enough for them and that it doesn’t meet the needs of its community. When 300+ Primary Schools said the same about National Standards Minister Tolley threatened Boards of Trustees with the sack, threatened with extra visits by ERO and a cut in funding.
Written By: - Date published: 12:20 pm, January 18th, 2011 - 11 comments
The Tertiary Education Union’s new National President, Sandra Grey, joins us for a guest post on the challenges facing tertiary education as the government cuts funding and institutions are ‘rationalised’ to focus on economic values alone. Tertiary education can be so much more than that.
Written By: - Date published: 8:34 am, December 22nd, 2010 - 107 comments
National and Act are attacking student unions. The cover story is freedom of association, but it’s bollocks, freedom of association is already protected. Without the unions students will still have to pay. But they will lose the rich social and cultural heritage of the unions, lose the learning experiences that the unions provide, and lose their independence. Hey students – does that sound like a good deal to you?
Written By: - Date published: 7:25 am, December 14th, 2010 - 21 comments
National are consistently attacking the vulnerable in society – those who cannot fight back and complain. This is where a lot of their cuts are aimed at – those who need it most. Be it in health, education or welfare.
And in several recent health and education National cuts have hurt the most vulnerable – our children. Not just the massive ECE cuts of Tolley, but cuts hurting those at the bottom even more.
Written By: - Date published: 11:30 am, December 9th, 2010 - 19 comments
Yesterday, the OECD released its annual comparison of educational achievement in different countries. This study compares half a million kids’ aptitude in reading, maths, and science. Kiwi kids come out pretty damn well: 7th in reading, 13th in maths, 8th in science. And, guess what, we beat countries with National Standards hands down.
Written By: - Date published: 1:59 pm, December 1st, 2010 - 52 comments
The Nats’ stupid slash and burn approach to early childhood education (ECE) is about to hammer families. And once again Anne Tolley is in complete denial about it.
Written By: - Date published: 8:46 am, November 27th, 2010 - 22 comments
The UK government is currently trying to balance its budget by shifting costs onto the young, through a trebling of university fees. This will prevent many kids from poor families from going to university, and they’re not happy about it…
Written By: - Date published: 5:17 pm, November 22nd, 2010 - 33 comments
Anne Tolley prefers instead to concentrate on the diversion that is National’s Standards. It must be easier implementing a political slogan than actually doing her job.
Written By: - Date published: 10:58 am, November 18th, 2010 - 16 comments
Anne Tolley has ignored the advice of the Law Commission and the desire of parents that private schools be required to provide a “safe and supportive” environment for children. She says there’s no problem to fix. Unfortunately that’s not true. Rather than make them accountable, Tolley is opening the public purse strings for private schools.
Written By: - Date published: 2:07 pm, November 17th, 2010 - 15 comments
Plumedekiwi has revived his disturbingly good John Key impression in a new vid.
This time, John is explaining the importance of national standards.
Written By: - Date published: 1:13 pm, November 13th, 2010 - 33 comments
Written By: - Date published: 11:08 am, November 11th, 2010 - 58 comments
The latest Nat campaign to stifle those who speak out against them is in full swing. A report that a “Third of rebel schools appear to soften stance on standards” goes on to note the bullying tactics being used against schools to achieve this “compliance”. These tactics have already caused a senior Ministry official in the Auckland region to refuse to participate in the harassment of schools in protest.
Written By: - Date published: 1:54 pm, November 9th, 2010 - 69 comments
An education blog reports a revolt in the Ministry of Education, with a senior official in the Auckland region refusing to bully schools over national standards. That is well and bravely done. So much easier to keep your head down and “just follow orders”. But these orders are very very wrong.
Written By: - Date published: 10:59 am, November 9th, 2010 - 81 comments
It’s interesting to see the amount of anti-teacher information National is sending to Farrar and Slater. The depth of research involved in uncovering this stuff means it’s clearly research unit work. The latest tidbit Farrar and Slater have their knickers in a twist about is a principal referring to Anne Tolley as ‘Minister Hitler’ on her Facebook wall.
Written By: - Date published: 7:21 am, November 8th, 2010 - 29 comments
Written By: - Date published: 7:03 am, November 5th, 2010 - 161 comments
Anne Tolley has lost the debate on national standards. The boycott looks set to gather strength, and even The Herald has come out against them. The empirical evidence, academic consensus and weight of professional opinion has always been against standards. The only ones still defending them are hacks and shills pushing a political agenda.
Written By: - Date published: 2:30 pm, November 3rd, 2010 - 2 comments
In both the 2009 and 2010 Budgets this Government has slashed funding for early childhood education, taking over $600M out of the sector. The cuts are deep, and they are real, and the biggest ones so far took effect on Monday November 1st. This Thursday, the MPs will front up at the Kohia Teachers Centre in Epsom. Get along.
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