Yes, an announcement is coming this week, maybe even today, and it’s the return of the truancy officer. Not that we want to call them that, they'll be called something woke.
But what he wouldn’t answer was the very simple question - why now?
He seems to have discovered since becoming our nation's leader that kids aren't going to school.
Or is it that he has discovered since becoming Prime Minister that making an announcement about truancy officers might be smart politics?
The point being, and the bit he wouldn’t answer, was none of this is new. He tried to offer Covid as an excuse and it sort of is, but only sort of.
Kids haven't been going to school now for years because we have created an environment where it doesn’t matter.
The good schools pull their hair out and spend far too much time and resource chasing kids. And for every minute they spend doing that they are distracted from teaching the kids who do turn up.
There is a malaise in this country that permeates most aspects of life now and school is just one part. It's laziness, it’s a culture of excuse making be it Covid, cost of living crisis or the weather.
If we can close it down, stay in bed or put it off we are in like a robber's dog. It’s a very sad state of affairs.
Our education system, as measured by the testing around numeracy and literacy, is appalling. It's embarrassingly appalling and it's hard to learn if you aren't at school.
The fact that crime has been allowed to grow under Hipkins' watch, is yet another reminder of the farcical charade the Government are trying to create around his arrival.
Most of the crimes, whether economic or social, have been committed in the past five years by him being a senior member of the Jacinda Ardern clique or by him directly as minister.
He was Minister of Education; the truancy crisis was overseen by him.
It grew under him, he watched it and did nothing and now, magically, come election year an answer he had at his fingertips all along can somehow be produced.
It's like the policy dumpster fire last week. It's decent politics and it steals another opposition idea.
But the cynicism that drives it is sickening.
Mike Hosking is a New Zealand television and radio broadcaster. He currently hosts The Mike Hosking Breakfast show on NewstalkZB on weekday mornings.
Or is it that he has discovered since becoming Prime Minister that making an announcement about truancy officers might be smart politics?
The point being, and the bit he wouldn’t answer, was none of this is new. He tried to offer Covid as an excuse and it sort of is, but only sort of.
Kids haven't been going to school now for years because we have created an environment where it doesn’t matter.
The good schools pull their hair out and spend far too much time and resource chasing kids. And for every minute they spend doing that they are distracted from teaching the kids who do turn up.
There is a malaise in this country that permeates most aspects of life now and school is just one part. It's laziness, it’s a culture of excuse making be it Covid, cost of living crisis or the weather.
If we can close it down, stay in bed or put it off we are in like a robber's dog. It’s a very sad state of affairs.
Our education system, as measured by the testing around numeracy and literacy, is appalling. It's embarrassingly appalling and it's hard to learn if you aren't at school.
The fact that crime has been allowed to grow under Hipkins' watch, is yet another reminder of the farcical charade the Government are trying to create around his arrival.
Most of the crimes, whether economic or social, have been committed in the past five years by him being a senior member of the Jacinda Ardern clique or by him directly as minister.
He was Minister of Education; the truancy crisis was overseen by him.
It grew under him, he watched it and did nothing and now, magically, come election year an answer he had at his fingertips all along can somehow be produced.
It's like the policy dumpster fire last week. It's decent politics and it steals another opposition idea.
But the cynicism that drives it is sickening.
Mike Hosking is a New Zealand television and radio broadcaster. He currently hosts The Mike Hosking Breakfast show on NewstalkZB on weekday mornings.
5 comments:
As long as the government, police, local communities, and parents tolerate the behaviour of truancy, crime, laziness and uselessness the trend will continue. If there are no consequences what motivation is there to change?
The present government are a prime example with their lack of achievement, bunking off at the slightest excuse and completely devoid of credibility.
To expect the new pm to do anything but keep up the trend of ducking questions, obfuscation and downright lying would be a bit of a stretch, since he has been the minister responsible for both education and police.
What we need are more people asking the hard questions. Like maybe the opposition.
The elephant in the room , is that we have an appalling education system the product of more than 70 years of progressivism, gradually sneaked into our schools. This is child centered,discovery learning, out of date reading and arithmetic methods that don't work, permissive discipline,lack of direct instruction,a focus on socializing the child rather than have them achieve academically in intellectual activities, emphasis on skills rather than acquiring knowledge, bullying........ Then there is now indoctrination in critical race theory, cancel culture and transgender issues.
Apparently US parents faced with the same rotten education philosophy,which they became more aware of during lock-downs,are not particularly motivated in sending their children to school, either.
I have heard of couples very aware of the rottenness of present schooling and reluctant to have children.
Education has come to be seen as a boring obligation rather than a privilege, and teachers are no longer regarded as people to be respected. I think it is a downside of affluence.
Above all else (yes, - the cyclone, cost of living, and the co-governance/Maorifaction revolution), this education issue is the most important, for it will have the most far reaching effects of all on our nation. But like a cancer, its malignant spread is largely going under the radar. We ignore it at our peril.
The problem is, as with boot camps, PD, gaol etc, truancy officers no longer have effect because they have no real clout. They are fraid of discipline, prosecution, cancellation and physical rataliation from client colleagues living the "imagine decolonisation", behaviour.
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