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Wednesday, January 23, 2013
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Bill ‘will undermine fellow pupils’ safety’ By Myles Hume A piece of proposed legislation that will prevent teachers from searching and seizing banned products in schools has prompted action from one local principal. Ashburton College principal Grant McMillan is in the final stages of preparing a submission against the Education Amendment Bill, which contains contentious proposals such as charter schools and restrictions on the power schools hold to surrender, retain, search and seize
banned good such as weapons and drugs. It is no secret that Mr McMillan regularly holds random blitzes with drug sniffer dogs and conducts breath tests at college balls, all to ensure the safety of fellow pupils. However, if the proposed legislation gets the green light, schools will only hold the power to search campus property such as lockers and desks, and if teachers are suspicious as to what is inside pupils’ bags they will not have the power to ask them to empty it on the desk. “This has come out of nowhere
Do you think there should be drug sniffer dogs at schools? For your comments and suggestions email myles.h@theguardian.co.nz. and I can’t find a single consultant who has asked for this,” Mr McMillan said. “Poorly drafted, poorly thought through, it looks as though no one has talked to anyone. An example is; we all know students don’t use lockers nowadays they keep everything in their bags, you only see that kind of thing in American school movies,” he said. In his written submission, to
be sent away on January 24, Mr McMillan plans to highlight several points. They involve; what harm prompted the Ministry of Education to make a change? What was wrong with the current legislation? And the unforeseen effects and consequences if this Bill goes ahead, for example compromised safety and a heightened sense of power for pupils.
“The main body of students at school should be in a safe place and that’s how I want to keep it. “There may not be hundreds or thousands of submissions, but it should take two or three to show them the flaws and how bizarre this is.” Mr McMillan struggled to see how the legislation would help schools reintegrate troubled pupils back into the school environment.
Ashburton College regularly sent suspended pupils to local organisations including Ashburton Community Drugs and Alcohol Service, who monitored them with drug tests and provided support to help them get back into education. “Usually the case is we say, ‘look we understand you have something in your bag you shouldn’t’ and they say ‘yeah I have this’ and the worse thing they get is a detention. But with new (proposed) legislation if you ask them to empty their bags and they don’t want to then I’m going to say ‘with a reasonable request I’m
now suspending you’.” However, if the legislation went ahead it would be illegal to refer pupils to get assistance, Mr McMillan saying it would only leave schools with limited choice but to take drastic measures. He also believed some pupils would use the law to their advantage. “It’s going to be the same situation as a child turning around to their parent and saying ‘you can’ touch me,” he said. Mr McMillan will send his submission in the coming days.
Principals The growing cost of child obesity query Govt motives By Sam Morton
By Myles Hume
Our poll question is:
Local principals question the motives behind a Government strategy to move students towards higher paying careers. The principals believe teenagers make career decisions based on their talents, and money only plays a part in choosing their future pathway. Their comments come following the launch of website careers.govt.nz and a Ministry of Education report, which allows students to compare the salaries of degree-based industries five years after they complete tertiary studies. Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment minister Steven Joyce said the data highlights the variation in earning potential for different levels of graduates, assisting students of all ages when considering career options. “What I think it (the data) will do is you will see a move from fine arts and performing arts into a strong demand for more career orientated areas,” Mr Joyce said. Although local college principals believe the website is a valuable tool, they say it is about finding the right balance between job satisfaction and income, and pupils were not always lured by fat pay packets. Mount Hutt College principal John Schreurs said many young adults looked “to follow their dream” and money was not always the driving factor. He said it would be “dangerous” to use the money-based website as the only tool to make a decision on a career path. “It’s interesting, I don’t think there is anybody who goes into teaching necessarily for the money even though they have a good average wage and holidays are good, they go into it for the love of learning,” Mr Schreurs said.
Would you advise your children to choose a career based on their talents or how well it paid? Visit www.guardianonline.co.nz to have your say. Ashburton College principal Grant McMillan found the motives for choosing a career varied “from person to person” and the college used a broad-based curriculum to allow a better opportunity for pupils to seek their talents. However, he warned the website was only a snapshot to “shape the market”, pointing out trades had not been included on the income comparison list which made up a vital part of the country’s economy. “I would really like to see the wages compared with someone who has been out of an apprenticeship for five years ... these guys have been earning while they were training too. Mr Schreurs agreed that the annual incomes posted on the site may not be entirely accurate, but he thought it would help school leavers make informed decisions about tertiary study. Although the website was created to push students towards the “indemand areas earning the most”, Mr Schreurs did not want to see history repeat itself. He harked back to a time when there was an abundance of law degree graduates, leaving some jobless. He encouraged pupils to make their decisions using several sources, such as careers.govt.nz, careers advisors and parents.
FINAL
The young obesity epidemic will only get larger unless parents start taking responsibility for their child’s lifestyle, according to an independent dietitian. Bronwyn Beavon’s comments follow the rapid rise in the nation’s childhood obesity, with recent research revealing 20 per cent of children are overweight, with almost 10 per cent clinically obese. In some cases around the country, children as young as nine are being enrolled in weight loss programmes in a desperate attempt to shed the pounds - and authorities are rightly concerned. Ms Beavon, based in Timaru, believes a large percentage of the issue lies with fast food outlets. She is urging families to cut them out of the weekly routine altogether. “Spend more time on the outside aisles in the supermarket, where the fresh food tends to be. Spend less time in the inside aisles and you will most definitely be going in the right direction,” Ms Beavon said. “The message is to get them (the children) out there, get them off the couch, off the Playstation and encourage them to be active. And remember it doesn’t necessarily have to be sport, it can be recreational activities too like walking or biking – any movement is good movement.” A University of Auckland study, released last week, found that weight issues and obesity in New Zealand is costing the country more than $800 million every year in both healthcare costs and lost productivity. The Ministry of Health say one in five children, aged 2 to 14, is overweight, one in 12 are obese and three out of 10 children are at risk, because of excessive weight. Last year, New Zealand was ranked second from last in an obesity report conducted worldwide. A national survey, available through Sport NZ, also uncovered some glum trends among Kiwi children with less than 50 per cent of the population choosing not to take part in at least one sport or recreation event in 2011. The survey, which was released
Children: 20% overweight 10% obese
Health costs: $800 million annually
Youngest person on weightloss programme: 9
Almost 50% inactive
‘
25% of adults obese
The message is to get them (the children) out there, get them off the couch, off the Playstation and encourage them to be active. And remember it doesn’t necessarily have to be sport, it can be recreational activities too like walking or biking – any movement is good movement
last year, is the country’s most comprehensive study undertaken for sport and recreational activity throughout New Zealand. On average, the survey shows six out of 10 boys and five out of 10 girls belong to a sports club. However, the report suggested participation in sporting events decreased with age for both sexes, totalling only two out of 10 boys and girls aged 15 to 18 taking part – as they grow older and lead more social lives.
Ms Beavon said the solution was to encourage younger children to be active, rather than to put the focus on losing weight. She urged families to get involved together and help drive and support each other to stay active on a daily basis. “What your children eat is just as important as how much exercise they do. Striking that balance is the key to good health. “It’s a message we want to send at a young age, but unfortunately
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I can’t see the situation changing any time soon. “When they step out of the door, there is food here, there and everywhere and of course parents can only do so much to control that. “But what they can control is the immediate environment at home and for school lunches and if they do that, that will be a big leap in the right direction,” she said. Let the battle begin.
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