Two quick things re Interactions with Kiwiblog Readers

1. On funding for the education of children with challenges in egalitarian NZ

Privileged to be published in The Post (online and in-print) yesterday with an article buildng on data I posted on Kiwiblog last week.

The current government has barely challenged few of the underlying issues for education … especially how we address development through pregnancy and the first 5 years of life – that are the absolute foundation to human development and education.

At the high school end of the school system we have curriculum and qualifications being challenged but the Minister, in a cabinet paper, noting that for marginalised young people things may get worse.

In The Post piece I point out that we provide a minimal level of funding for schools/students who face the most challenges … then … as a society, wonder why nothing changes and that we have a huge portion of NEETS and the biggest gaps in the OECD for achievers and non-achievers.

On Linkedin Kiwiblog reader John Gill propopses:

“Lifting Flaxmere’s educational achievement should be a special project for the Minister.

The first two steps should be (a) putting in the best principal that money can buy, and (b)improving the staffing ratio of teaching staff by 25% for five years.

Give it all the attention it needs and see if that makes a measurable difference.

If it is successful, we then know what to do elsewhere.

Based on your analysis of high needs secondary schools that outperform expectations, it should be easy to find suitable principals.”

2. A plug for a Kiwiblig reader.

I have a few peices of limited edition Weta Workship art. To look after, and display them, I get an avid Kiwiblog reader, Blayne Newton, to make fantatsic display cases. Great for items you want to display and preserve.

His web-site is: https://www.acryfab.co.nz/