This weeks Brick Bats, Bouquet and Honourable mention for things that have cropped up in the news.
Brick Bat:
This is shared this week with the Government and the Minster of Education. Firstly the Government for not funding an important report on child poverty in the country that sets measures and targets, claiming it wasn’t necessary. Finance Minister Bill English went further to state that ‘”measures of relative poverty” made no sense because they did not show how rich or poor people were in absolute terms.’ Hmmm.
Secondly, the Minister of Education for failing to listen to the feedback from the profession during the consultation on the new Teachers Council changes. Now the Minister is the sole appointee to the Council, a move that does little to engender trust in either the system or the Minister. Consultation feedback was for the members on the Council to be more independent.
Bouquet:
This goes to Dr Russell Wills for going out and seeking private funding so he can track and publish his own stock take on child poverty in NZ because the Government won’t (see above). Well done – you deserve this weeks bouquet – as does the McKenzie Trust for supporting this worthy work with funding. It makes me proud to be kiwi when people like Dr Russell Wills does whats best for children.
Honorable Mention:
This weeks honourable mention must go to the little boy who stole the show and spent quite some time on stage with Pope Francis. I love that he took it upon himself to go and spend time on stage and to sit on the chair. I do wonder however where the parents of this wayward young man were…..
Sources
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11147721
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11150306
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/video.cfm?gallery_id=138766