Antidote NZ

What a lot of folk dont realise is now quickly a neglected child morphs into a disruptive and unmotivated learner. A lot of the charity is done to prevent learning being interrupted for those kids who turn up bright eyed and keen to learn, with their lunch etc.A child who has slept in their school clothes and wet the bed will stink of urine and will often respond aggressively when other kids complain of the smell.A parent who insists a 5 year old makes their own lunch and if they dont, they can go without should come to school later on in the day and deal with their childs behaviour. A lot of drink bottles and lunchboxes get cleaned at school in order to try and prevent some of the absenteeism from tummy bugs. The list goes on.....

Teachers have always bought classroom supplies etc from their own pockets. The only profession where workers steal stationery from home and take it to work!

Judge Becrofts comment that Heaven help us IF our education system is GOING TO depend on pocket money payments by teachers for needy children. shows how out of touch everyone at the government level really is. There is no if or goingto about it. This has been the reality on the ground for decades. My mum bought was buying food, shoes and clothing for her students in the 80s and shes still doing it today. She is just one of thousands of teachers in NZ who cant in good conscientious let their kids go cold and hungry when theres no one else willing or able to step in.

These are good teachers.

The teacher at my grandsons special needs school in Panmure regularly supplements the kids lunch from his own money. Unsung heroes these special needs teachers!

Griz, people have to provide for their children. Sending them to school in pee soaked clothes is child abuse. They must know someone who they could pay to use their washing machine or there is a laundry mat. This is basic stuff if they are not providing this where is their money going? At the very least they are receiving a benefit or WFF or if they have two jobs so dont have time to make lunch they can train their kids to make a sandwich and get a piece of fruit. It just laziness. Parents should not be expecting teachers to do their job for them, teachers are there to teach and should report child abuse to the authorities not cover it up as their are school holidays and a new teacher next year so parents need to be held accountable.You realize countries with real poverty people walk to wells to collect their water wash their kids clothes by hand? Put water in a bath to soak and then scrub with sunlight soak - I know someone who moved here from the UK and it took two months for her furniture to arrive so this is how they washed their clothes until their machine arrived. Under no circumstances should kids go to school in pee soaked clothes.

I think it might be a country that is close to being broken. the ABs are a convenient and big distraction but the real stuff keeps getting worse. basically all our social and business systems seem to be disconnected from their intended end goal. the country has sunk billions into this demographic but stories like this suggest the core problems remain or are even worse.

Seriously, of all things you want to pick on for government misspending its the pittance of Maori Language week? How about the various corporate subsidies that exist - I mean I guarantee that the cost of govt. Support of irrigation programs for marginal land far outweighs any dollar we have ever spent on the Maori language

You may well be trolling, or perhaps simply unaware of the reality of what goes on in schools. I have taught in low decile schools for almost all of my teaching career. The situations described in the article above are all ones that I have experienced. Should you need to confirm the veracity of these claims contact a low decile school for yourself. Even better, become a teacher. Its obvious from your comment that you feel you clearly know a good deal about the realities of education in the country.

I think people do understand that. My child is a bed wetter so what we do is wash the sheets and clothes in the morning and give him a shower so the kids at school never know. What people dont understand is why the parents arent managing the situation, why they dont clean the clothes, make the lunch and clean the drink bottles. As a mum, I have to do these things, the parents need to sort themselves out.

Its not the kids fault, so why punish them for something they cant control? As a teacher I cant fix society but I can feed and shoe the kids who need it. I make damn sure my classroom is a haven for my kids, You never know, that might be the thing that saves a desperate little person from making the wrong choice later on - they know their teacher cares for and believes in them.

Because when the teacher welcomes a family with their own language the family feels more comfortable in the school environment and therefore there is a positive interaction. Engagement with the whole education system. Read health or justice or business there if you prefer.Because learning 2, 3 or more languages develops new pathways in the brain. It gives insight into other cultures. And each language is easier to learn.Because this is New Zealand and the only country where Maori exists. It will die out otherwise.As a Junior School teacher I wont correct the spelling, just feedback on the content. Oh and yes I have spent a lot of money so children can learn. Both so there is equipment in the classroom and directly for some children and families.

Te Reo! Jeepers what a small minded mean comment.

This is happening in schools all over NZ.

Unfortunately I have a sister who thinks like this. When she moved to Auckland, she looked for schools that have a decile 1 or 2 rating so she didnt have to provide breakfast. I was pretty disgusted, as she was wearing $300 pair of shoes, and was not interested in what schools would benefit her children the best.BTW, my son went to a decile 10 school, and he wore No. 1 warehouse shoes. He never complained once.

I agree with your idea, but that it not the point. It is not the kids fault they are hungry, cold or in need. Does anyone in a caring society say Id like to help, but it is your parents fault so I wont. That doesnt fix the problem being addressed in this article, that kids wont learn much when theyre hungry, cold or their home lives are so bad, that the only place they feel safe (or sometimes wanted) is at school. Do something to relieve the symptoms, then put in long term solutions, which can take a long time to work.

But I guess that at the age of 14, you have it all sorted out in your head, and dont remember that happened in Germany in the 1930s and 40s. Try maturing a bit - many are poor because they had their kids then they lost their jobs, wives, husbands - how do you work that into your system? How do you punish the parents without further affecting the kids? Got that sorted too?

Over many years I have seen soo many âpoorâ families who send their kids to school with no lunch or shoes or anything really, then you meet the parents who have latest labels, too end $1000 phones, they smoke and drink. Its the parents that need education to get their priorities straight.

The national party lost their way. They ran out of ideas and stripped the police, health and education system of their heart.

teaching is the only job where you steal stuff from home to take to work..a quote from my husband as I load his book shelf ladder into the car to take to my classroom