Posts by Rosemary McDonald
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Up Front: Oh, God, in reply to Emma Hart,
Which Bible class absolutely does not do.
If "Bible Class" does teach that the 'teacher's' faith is the only one that deserves respect, then I too would be concerned. The only way to be sure of what is being taught is to sit in on every session....and protest most vehemently if the teacher strays into disrespect for other faiths.
"Nobody tells them that it’s true."
No.2 son was saying over dinner tonight that Bible Class( of the Catholic School variety) threw up some of the weirdest stories he has ever heard. Like, truly weird "what were the writers on" type of shit.
No more likely to be believed by children than fairy tales, fables, and the like....which where told to teach children similar values to those taught in the dreaded Bible Class.
There again....our family did not do Christmas (because we were not religious), or Easter (for the same reason) so we had to explain to our children the origins of these festivals and the reason we were philosophically opposed to celebrating them.
The kids coped with the incongruency of going to a religious school yet eschewing that religion's major festivals.
Again...Parental Guidance Required.
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Up Front: Oh, God, in reply to BenWilson,
<q>don’t waste my kids time.... with mumbo jumbo..... for 50 hours every year
Please tell me Ben that your kids watch no TV, no films, cartoons, advertisements.
Tell me that they are not allowed exposure to Tolkein, Rowling, Grimm, Lewis, Mahy,
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Up Front: Oh, God, in reply to Lilith __,
Rather than making school something to be endured and having to counteract the brainwashing at home, we should improve the schooling?
Teaching them to be respectful of ALL knowledge, ALL beliefs, ALL lifestyles. And, teaching them to learn with discrimination….in the positive sense of the word.
I'm not accusing anyone of bad parenting...on the contrary...I am trying to say that parents are the first and most important influence on children's lives....for better or worse....As parents we have only a very small window in which to positively influence our children's outcomes...we should be acknowledged as the first, and always foremost of our child's teachers.
What surprises me about this conversation is the depth of anti - religious feeling....like, where is the fear coming from?
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Up Front: Oh, God, in reply to BenWilson,
. But it’s not an excuse to let their time be wasted on something suboptimal at best, harmful at worst. This is the 21st Century, there’s so many genuinely good things that could be done instead.
Hmmmm.
Two of my now adult kids have four science degrees between them.
The one who has just handed in his PhD thesis was truly inspired by the science teacher at his Catholic high school.
Hardly a 'suboptimal' educational outcome.All three of my children considered sports/physed/gym a complete and utter waste of their time...yet it was compulsory.
I would hazzard a guess that their is more harm done by schools forcing pupils into certain sporting activities...remember the humiliation?
Maybe none of you do....
Sorry, I'm not convinced.
An hour of week of exposure to religion will not harm your children providing they can discuss what they have absorbed with their parents...as they would discuss all the other subjects they do at school.
Perhaps, instead of getting all hissyfitish about such matters, this energy and concern for our childrens education could be better directed towards improving the efficacy of our engagement with our children.
Teaching them to be respectful of all knowledge, and teaching them to learn with discrimination....in the positive sense of the word.
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My three kids all went to Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools. (Don't ask, long story)
Neither of their parents have any religious connection, although paternal Great Grandfather was a card carrying Orangeman from Ireland, so we did cop a bit of flak for exposing the offspring to the Catholics. Seriously.
However, off the kids went for the prescribed number of years, attending Mass and doing all the other God Stuff, other than First Holy Communion.
Religious Education was kept separate from the usual state school curriculum...which was followed religiously (pun intended)...and Darwin did get a mention in high school science class.
No need for the exorcist to pay a visit afterwards.
All three kids are happy atheists/agnostics.
They don't pray, attend church, or show any ill effects of having a high exposure to religious dogma.All three are honest, hard working, intelligent free thinkers who have the confidence to argue their point of view....with the expectation that their arguement makes sense.
Because thats how we roll at home.
SO, don't panic if little Johnny comes home from school talking about Big Daddy, Junior and the Spook....it will not do them any harm as long as YOU, their parents, are the biggest influence in their lives.
Here endeth the Lesson.
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Access: The Problem with the Greens’…, in reply to Sacha,
need to be able to deliver a smart coherent campaign before we can leverage public support
It used to be that the 'average' Kiwi had little to do with disability in its many and varied forms.
But it seems these days just about every person we speak to on our travels has, has a family member with, or has a friend whoes kid has, a disability.
The inequities between ACC and MOH are known, and the poor supports for kids on the Autisitc Sectrum in education are a constant topic of conversation.
As you say Sacha...clear and coherent messages about what it would take to lessen the disabling effects of impairment are needed....but I believe that not a lot of 'leverage' will be required to get mainstream NZ on side.
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Access: The Problem with the Greens’…, in reply to Marc C,
So what can we do. I am tired of sending emails to MPs and candidates of parties, who are all primarily only focused on winning votes, and that primarily from the large “middle ground”, which though has sadly other priorities than sick, injured and disabled with their serious challenges have.
Yes.
Well, as a bit of entertainment for the yoof of the family I (as the die hard non voter in the family) did the TV One Vote Compass questionaire.
Other than placing Hone Harawira above all other leaders on the preferred PM scale, I merely rocketed through all the questions clicking on my first instinctive response.
I'm a Mana Party supporter, it would seem.
On that note, I'll go back to re-reading The Hollow Men.
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Access: The Problem with the Greens’…, in reply to Sacha,
are we going to let it win?
If I said..."methinks the system has won.... small, individual, isolated voices may as well fart in a strong wind for all the impact we have"....I'd be accused of defeatism.
Which would be, at times, true.
However, I'm too committed to give up....because before this generation...there were previous ones that fought the same battles and dreamed of a time when there was no need to fight for every last bit of grudgingly given support.
When disabled people are treated as citizens.
A usually up-beat and positive person with a disability who works in the sector said to me yesterday at a 'meet the candidates session'...."disabled people are simply not valued."
She went on to later try to explain to the politicians just how hard it is to negotiate the bureaucratic and proceedural obstacles on the way to better provision for disabled in the public transport area. This bureacracy applies to everything for all of us...but for those already on the back foot....
Peter will say, when an issue arises, "just sort it." Because more often than not a fair and reasonable solution to most of the disabled community's problems CAN be sorted. Quickly and expeditiously with little paperwork. Because that is(or was) the Kiwi way.
I don't know what to do.
I despair at the lack of knowledge and information sharing.
I despair that certain government funded organisations do not have a mandate from the wider community.....and they kowtow to their paymasters and dismiss the opinions and experiences of others.There is at least one upside to Peter and my situation. Because Peter receives no funding whatsoever for his care, and we have been taught by our NASC that even our allocation of Carer Support can be withdrawn at any time without notice, we have nothing to lose from challenging the staus quo. I would like a dollar for everyone who has sidled up to us after a gathering and said , "good onya for speaking up, for challenging them...I daren't in case they cut my hours...".
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Access: The Problem with the Greens’…, in reply to Sacha,
Ditto to the wry smile.
The Complex Carers Group is predominantly involved with children with very high and complex needs. Jan Moss has worked long and hard to gain real traction with MOH, with no small success. To her eternal credit she fronted up to the High Court in Auckland in 2010 to support the palintiffs in the Atkinson case on the same day that the media reported that Carers NZ were in favour of an allowance for family carers of those with high and very high needs, rather than a wage.
But...Peter and my situation does not fit her situation.
We do not fit into either of the organisations representing those with spinal impairment, as both were set up on the back of ACC.I get what Ezekiel is saying about amplifying collective views, but the system is set up to divide us all into wee groups, setting one in competition with the other....competing for limited resources.
And....it is a sad fact that those with high, very high and complex care needs are at the bottom of the disability heap.
Not quite the bottom, those of us who are the chosen family carers of those in this group are regarded as the sludge.
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If anyone is interested.....
There was a 'meet the candidates' session in Hamilton today for representatives from nine parties to present their disability policies.
More than one of the candidates commented that this particular meeting had a higher attendance than any others( mainstream) they had been invited to speak at.
It was a pity that the candidates had little to no knowledge of disability issues....but there was plenty of opportunity for people to raise their awareness.
Well organised, well facilitated, well attended.
Well done Hamilton.