Island Life: More time with the family
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Plenty of food for thought there, and I've often wondered about this in particular:
Just for starters, there is the tyranny of simple arithmetic. There are thirteen-odd weeks of school holidays a year, and, typically four weeks of annual leave.
Solutions to this 9-week incongruity? (Reduced to 5 weeks if both parents don't mind taking holidays completely separately from each other).
How about the more routine incongruity of schools operating for 2-3 hours per day less than a typical workplace, even when they are open? i.e., pupils attend from 9-3, or thereabouts, while adults generally work something like 8-5.
Through in travel time, and the parent might only have about 5 hours available for conventional work in the middle of the school day.
And that happy window of opportunity only opens after the little blighters turn 5.
Should schools be open for longer - both daily, and yearly? What would they do during all those extra hours? And how would we stop teachers from revolting?
I take it as granted that 13 weeks of annual leave is out of the question, since the usual suspects fought tooth and nail against 4 weeks.
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erm... longer school day is a common solution in Asia and every man woman child raggedy cat and dog seems to work from 8am to 8pm and then some.
solves one problem ...but its not unusual to discover that Korean and Chinese kids are schooling here because their parents are worried about the high stress of the school environments at home. (not just english language education, but more balanced lifestyle).
much better for employers to get their head around some community vision... surely? many people actually want to be with their families, its only half of the story to talk about good childcare or extended supervision out of current school hours. A longer school day might also create a new expectation that everybody will work more.
In a high employment environment skills shortage surely employers will figure out being accommodating about hours is a win win situation? or do the (not-defined-by-biology) primary carer demographic just not have skills employers want?
in the same spirit why in hell should block leave over school holidays be so impossible for those parents that need/want it?
*pause for hands on hips Aretha Franklin moment*
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Perhaps she was hoping to be a part of a Velvet Revolution and she has dejectedly concluded that it's not worth hanging around for something as slight as a Beige Makeover.
I reckon this is what it's boiled down to. She's just said on RNZ National that bulk funding is "not in my thinking" - whereas it patently is Alan Peachey's. Again, this is a case of the National party putting on a nice face publically, trying not to frighten the horses, saying "No!, of course we're not going to privatise / bulk fund / insert other topic here" then, when they do, show their true colours.
Rich stood up to Don Brash against his hard-line welfare policies, was the only National MP to vote against the anti-smacking bill (before Key decided the party should vote for it) and is against bulk funding.
Key's not prepared to tolerate someone not towing the line and she's probably been discreetly told to jump before she's pushed.Also, while being an MP is tough on families, etc, I doubt it's been financially tough. She and her husband, Andy Rich (early-mid '90s Otago forward) live in deepest Maori Hill, hardly a sign they're on the bread-line.
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Should schools be open for longer - both daily, and yearly? What would they do during all those extra hours? And how would we stop teachers from revolting?
I'm not sure what the historical reason for having a 9 - 3 (slightly longer for high schools I think) school day. But I'd hope it has something to do with the fact that kids get tired after being in class that long, and keeping them until 5 wouldn't add any 'value' to their school day because they couldn't concentrate at that age.
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well reading this morning's ODT commentary they seem to think that is has in at least part to do with that being on the liberal side of the Nats she would have been out of step with the rather more rightist Auckland mob who still have agendas left over from the Shipley years (the same ones who had her booted out of the shadow cabinet after resisting some of Brash's Orewa promises)
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Coupla things:
Rich wasn't the only Naitonal MP to vote for the anti- smacking bill - Paul Hutchison did as well (and I think one other MP - Clem Simich? Not sure).
Her retirement from politics does seem to be for genuine family reasons. And I know for a fact the Nats tried to dissuade her. There is a Labour spin doing the rounds on this, that its all a sign the right wing boot boys have pressured her out, but that seems to be just bullshit.
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well as I said this morning's ODT seems to think otherwise and it's a good 25 years since the ODT was the cities lefty newpaper - now days it seems to represent the entrenched powers that be - the same mob that used to the the 'citizens party' way back when
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I'm not sure what the historical reason for having a 9 - 3 (slightly longer for high schools I think) school day. But I'd hope it has something to do with the fact that kids get tired after being in class that long, and keeping them until 5 wouldn't add any 'value' to their school day because they couldn't concentrate at that age.
Which would make slightly more sense if my ten-year-old wasn't being sent home with forty-five minutes homework a night. My partner and I were talking about this just yesterday, and I believe some schools are doing it - running a 'homework club' after school. So the kids are there longer, but when they go home, they can switch off, they're done.
But yeah. We came to the realisation last year when a lovely job came up that I can't go out to work full-time, and probably not until our youngest, special-needs, child has finished high school. No mortgage for us!
I was bummed about Rich's retirement, I really like her.
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Perhaps she was hoping to be a part of a Velvet Revolution and she has dejectedly concluded that it's not worth hanging around for something as slight as a Beige Makeover.
My feeling too, but if you suggest that the Nats is not one big happy family in step behind Daddy John you get shouted down by the mob.
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I have a feeling Katherine Rich is someone who doesn't like being told she's wrong. I interviewed her on the radio several years ago when she had just started to make a mark with National.
She was wearing her broadcasting spokesperson hat that day, and came across as not actually knowing much at all about whatever we were discussing. But she was very, very fired up and prepared to argue as if she did.
History since has shown she's prepared to defy the party line. I don't think she was pushed, but maybe she just got sick of the fight and sick of being disagreed with by her 'comrades'.
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well as I said this morning's ODT seems to think otherwise and it's a good 25 years since the ODT was the cities lefty newpaper - now days it seems to represent the entrenched powers that be - the same mob that used to the the 'citizens party' way back when
So, they're as liable to be full of shit as anyone? I know close contact with David Benson-Pope would lead you to assume anything out of a politician's mouth is bullshit until proven otherwise but why wouldn't Rich unload if she's really been cluster-fraked by the Hollow Men?
I can tell you from close observation, that Katherine isn't particularly diplomatic when she thinks she's being screwed with.
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Her retirement from politics does seem to be for genuine family reasons. And I know for a fact the Nats tried to dissuade her. There is a Labour spin doing the rounds on this, that its all a sign the right wing boot boys have pressured her out, but that seems to be just bullshit.
Yup, just as I'm not willing to buy that Steve Maharey's 'real' reason for stepping down was that he's realised his chances of getting any further up the greasy pole are practically non-existent. That might be true, but hell -- if your partner dying from round two with cancer isn't the moment to reconsider your priorities, when is? And V-C of Massey isn't exactly a job ill-suited to Maharey's background and interests, with the added benefit of being more likely to see him home in the evening with his kids and partner than another term as perhaps the safest pair of hands on the Labour frontbench.
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"forty-five minutes homework a night"
Damnit, haven't we had a bunch of studies showing that homework makes no difference to outcomes?
Down with homework. Liberate your kids AND their teachers.
Apropos holidays: I've been lucky with employers, but jeez it's hard as a single parent these days. And the four term year makes it worse.
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I take it as granted that 13 weeks of annual leave is out of the question, since the usual suspects fought tooth and nail against 4 weeks.
Hold up, wait a minute Comrade ...
Are you saying that it would be a good idea (post-revolution, when the usual suspects have been lined up and shot) for NZ to have 13 weeks of annual leave? Would this be for all workers, or just those with children?
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Are you saying that it would be a good idea (post-revolution, when the usual suspects have been lined up and shot) for NZ to have 13 weeks of annual leave? Would this be for all workers, or just those with children?
that would be one way to create one HECK of a population explosion!
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I/O - what are you on about? There is a ~13-week difference between the amount of holidays in a typical school year, and the minimum amount of holidays received by an individual worker.
If society deems fit to close that difference, we either increase the school year, or increase worker holidays, or both.
I was pointing out that in the current environment, where a minimum 4 weeks annual leave has only just been secured, amid considerable complaint from some employer groups, that a further increase in annual leave (as of right) seemed unlikely.
Which leaves increasing the length of the school year ... not that that would necessarily be easy either (as I suggested).
If there is some flaw in this logic please feel free to point it out. If not, save the outrage.
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Apologies: a ~9 week difference.
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but if you suggest that the Nats is not one big happy family in step behind Daddy John you get shouted down by the mob.
Eh??
1. Where is anyone suggesting the Nats are one big happy family?
2. What shouting?
3. What mob? -
okay, my apologies dc_red, since the Comrade quip reads more inflammatory than the gentle jest I intended ...
I get all your maths, but what I was wanting to know was: do you think we should give workers 9-13 weeks annual leave? (and nevermind about those bastard employers who would prefer we all worked 52 weeks a year for minimum wage*, lets imagine they have no say in the matter)
[*"minimum wage? we don't need no stinkin' minimum wage!"]
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Which would make slightly more sense if my ten-year-old wasn't being sent home with forty-five minutes homework a night.
Yeah. I can't recall having homework very often when I was in primary school, but it seems to be common now. Both schools my son has been to have given it - the first at least, from age 5. Crazy.
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Cheers, I/O.
Can't say I'd given much thought to a possible solution to the issue until this morning (although I have certainly thought of it as a problem for a long time).
It seems pretty intractable. I guess option "c" (both of the above - some increase in annual leave and some increase in the school year) would be the most balanced approach.
In a two-parent family, where both parents work full-time, they would need a minimum of about 7 weeks' annual leave each (to be taken at their discretion) to cover current school holidays. Assuming they don't holiday together except for a few days here and there.
Off the top of my head I don't see 7 weeks of annual leave (as of right) as politically realistic. Maybe in time we'll move to 5 though.
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Re: homework.
A while back I was listening to public radio in Canada and they had an educationalist on who had researched homework and reached the conclusion it didn't improve outcomes, detracted from leisure/sports time, etc.
The interesting part came when she talked about how she dealt with this for her own children: she simply informed their teachers at the start of each year (in elementary school) that "my child won't be doing homework."
Pretty brave I thought. And ideas on whether this would fly in NZ? Can you do the same with uniforms if you think, e.g., it's too cold for boys to wear shorts in winter, so my lad will wear long pants?
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I don't have much time for the National and its mediocre MPs. Katharine Rich has always been a notable exception. I can recall her phoning me once, in response to a piece I had written in a NZ parenting magazine (about the foolishness of mortal panics about media effects) and I was impressed by her intelligence and willingness to listen to contrary views.
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she simply informed their teachers at the start of each year (in elementary school) that "my child won't be doing homework.... Any ideas on whether this would fly in NZ?
I doubt it. Schools are skilled at keeping both parents and children in line. Peel away the smiling facade and beneath each Principal is Cartman shouting__ "Respect My Authoritay!!"__
But the official response will be:
"If you don't want your child to do the homework the school feels is an integral part of your child's education programme, then perhaps you should find another school. If that's not possible then please don't blame the school if at the end of the year it's discovered your child has failed to acheive." -
"If you don't want your child to do the homework the school feels is an integral part of your child's education programme, then perhaps you should find another school. If that's not possible then please don't blame the school if at the end of the year it's discovered your child has failed to acheive."
How about, if your kid doesn't do their homework, they won't be going on that swimming trip next week that the rest of the school is going on? Oh, except the kids whose parents haven't managed to pay their technology fees in the first fortnight of school. They won't be going swimming either.
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