Poor Clem left to run as the national candidate for Mangere, the seat with the largest labour majority. The humiliation, even Tim Barclay would turn down an opportunity like that. Nothing gets in the way of the new headmaster-in-chief !

Also why is Peter Ayson of Meadowbank School again quoted on this – is inter-school war principal against principal professionally acceptable to the families of NZ?

I thought it was over the top at the time, punishing school kids wanting to enjoy the national sport (all 12 of them), but I could see, and approved of, the point they were trying to make.

I was also very surprised at Peachey’s comment. Only because he was so stupidly indiscreet as to make it. That he thinks like that is no surprise at all.

He claims it was an accident, but I don’t really see how that’s possible, unless he’s got the ‘knife in back’ comment stored as a macro or autocomplete and hit that instead of yours sincerely…

But that would be very very weird…

Cock-up yes, brain spasm, yes, accident? no way.

I can see why, as a former Selwyn student myself. It’s a school that makes no bones about being liberal and bitter on conservative government. I disagree that it was a shit place. Like all schools it was good for some people, bad for others.

People like me, who were academic and sporty, didn’t feel especially valued. But it had a really strong arts culture, and that’s excellent. Great music, great art departments. Academically it’s somewhere in the middle – I didn’t feel ‘discouraged’ there, but I didn’t feel like I got special treatment either.

In hindsight, that was a wise strategy. Being treated as some kind of academic legend is a teaching philosophy that falls completely flat as soon as you leave school.

I can see why National would be bitter on it, since it promotes things they would see as horribly PC, like valuing all kinds of subjects. I recall there were upwards of 60 different subjects to choose from in 6th form, many of which don’t lead directly to careers. And that was in the 80s.

But I can’t see it’s the place of a powerful MP to be making any kind of threats to a principal of a school. That’s just out of place and scary. If the Nats are bitter on Selwyn they should send their kids somewhere else. There’s plenty of grammar schools that are National strongholds. It amazes me that Peachey could be so indiscreet, especially in response to the rather generous offer to be involved in a school prizegiving.

Sagenz, why didn’t you just go somewhere else? There are dozens of schools you could have gone to instead. I agree that it was liberal, but everyone knew that before they went there. It used to shit me off too sometimes, but when you’re a kid, most adults shit you off.

Of course you did, but in 99.9% of cases a problem such as yours is cogenital.

Taking responsibility? Acknowledging error? Saying SORRY????”

Yeah, you should be disgusted mate. I mean, you’d never make comments suggesting you wished somebody was dead and then fail to apologise for it, would you?

Oops.

http://blognz.com/mt/mt-comm.cgi?entry_id=12678

First, I really think you’re the last person to be lecturing anyone on sending “nasty bullying threats” over the ether.

And I’m sorry to sound like DBP here, but I have to wonder why the one place Carol White apparently hasn’t send this e-mail over the last month is the Police? That’s what I’d have done if I’d really thought a snarky postscript to an e-mail constituted a credible threat of physical violence. (Hell, we’ve have to build a new prison just for some of the more wing-nutty commentators in the Kiwi blogisphere.)

I’d also like Maharey, PPTA Debbie Te Whaiti and Selwyn BOT chair John Hinchcliff (who also happen to be a Labour Auckland City councillor) to explain exactly what “retribution” any Minister (let alone an opposition associate education spokesman) could exact against White or Selwyn College?

Does the Education Minister now have unrestrained abilities to fire and deregister teachers, remove Boards, divert funding and close down schools in a pursuit of some personal jihad?

As I’ve said elsewhere, I’d also suggest Mr. Maharey (or his predecessor Trevor Mallard) shouldn’t hump his high horse too hard, given his own history of *ahem* free and frank exchanges with individuals in the education sector over the years.

Peachy himself has some experience of how Trevor Mallard takes criticism of Government policy very personally indeed. And I wonder if there’s any truth in the rumour I’ve heard on the local grapevine that the call went out in union circles last year that any dirt on Rangitoto College in general, or Peachy in particular, would find a willing ear in *ahem* the right quarters…

But I guess that’s not the kind of political “bullying culture” mikeybill objects to.

First, I really think you’re the last person to be lecturing anyone on sending “nasty bullying threats” over the ether.

And I’m sorry to sound like DBP here, but I have to wonder why the one place Carol White apparently hasn’t send this e-mail over the last month is the Police? That’s what I’d have done if I’d really thought a snarky postscript to an e-mail constituted a credible threat of physical violence.

I’d also like Maharey, PPTA Debbie Te Whaiti and Selwyn BOT chair John Hinchcliff (who also happen to be a Labour Auckland City councillor) to explain exactly what “retribution” any Minister (let alone an opposition associate education spokesman) could exact against White or Selwyn College?

Does the Education Minister now have unrestrained abilities to fire and deregister teachers, remove Boards, divert funding and close down schools in a pursuit of some personal jihad?

As I’ve said elsewhere, I’d also suggest Mr. Maharey (or his predecessor Trevor Mallard) shouldn’t hump his high horse too hard, given his own history of *ahem* free and frank exchanges with individuals in the education sector over the years.

Peachy himself has some experience of how Trevor Mallard takes criticism of Government policy very personally indeed. And I wonder if there’s any truth in the rumour I’ve heard on the local grapevine that the call went out in union circles last year that any dirt on Rangitoto College in general, or Peachy in particular, would find a willing ear in *ahem* the right quarters…

But I guess that’s not the kind of political “bullying culture” mikeybill objects to.

He made a nasty bullying threat and is trying to save his bacon now. The only “right thing” he has done here is reveal his true colours, and they’re not pretty.

I wonder how the bullying culture was in his school? People were probably too scared to talk of it.

Taking responsibility? Acknowledging error? Saying SORRY????

This is not what Labour hasa taught us at all!

What is parliment coming to?