Posts by Jackie Clark
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I have just been informed, via email, that the kindergarten's copy of your fabulous book has been dispatched. I am so excited about getting this book to read to the kids. Mostly just so that I can say that I know the person who wrote it! It will be very edumacational also, because I don't think any of my kids will know what an otter actually is - unless K knows, but K knows lots of things about lots of things. His knowledge never ceases to amaze me. I mean, did you know that only big bubbles have the power to elicit the reaction of "Holy Shit!" from a four year old? No? Exactly.
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I'm with Lilith, and Islander, Sally. You really can't stop people having kids. You can, however, make sure that they get the support to be the best parents they can be, and their children have a chance at a good life. It's not necessarily state help that people need, either, but for their neighbours and friends to look out for them. For the community to care. I'll give you an example - one of our dad's was gang associated, very loving father but a bit of a drinker and stoner, and someone who worked all the time, so his kids - 4 under the age of 5 - may not have had the best influences in their lives. His partner went to prison for a year, and at first he didn't cope too well. Until his partner's best friend stepped in. She helped him to get the kids into a routine, and generally showed him the ropes of fulltime child rearing. Now, this dad didn't tell us that his partner was in prison, nor did he ask us to help him in any way. That would have been too shaming for him. Instead, his community stepped in to help him, and we - by now knowing but not saying that we knew - put him in touch with a community support worker, who helped him to get the DPB, and to move house so that his kdis weren't around a bad crowd. And do you know what? He is now the best father ever. His partner is out of prison, and they are both doing very well. As are the kids. And all because the community does what it does when it's at it's best. I think that being on a benefit is demoralising enough for alot of people, without adding on the burden of having no money at all. Your idea, Sally, also smacks a wee bit of the Chinese Govt's One Child policy.
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Thankyou Islander - she's off to see her friend, Chris the Vet tomorrow. She's feeling a bit better, but still very sorry for herself.
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I love fireworks too - and normally we go to my friends Ange and Gary, and Gaz - who is a fireman - lets off hundreds in Walker Park while we all stand around and freeze. This year, my dog's not well, so we're inside. Safe and warm and waiting out Cleo's malaise.
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<sigh> They're like computers. Total logic.
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Oh, so true, Jolisa. Part of the reasonI am there is to set up/manipulate the environment in a way that encourages active exploration; to prompt discussion as interest serves; and to ensure that rolling around in the dust happens frequently. Oh, and also? Make sure that they have the language to boss each other around. Because children bossing each other around is always so much more satisfactory. They revel in it.
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Pedagogy, you say? I have always believed that that was what I had, and not the child. You are, or course, quite right. That is very obviously pedagogy.
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we have been funding early childhood education and care quite well in this country until recently with the subsidies cut by the present government.
Funnily enough, Sally, we haven't been at all well funded until this recent Labour Govt. International studies suggest that spending on early childhood education should be 1% of GDP. Ours is .6 (yes, that's a decimal point). It is my personal belief that ECE is something that, unless you work in it, most people are not aware of, nor of the issues involved. We pay lip service to it. But as is witnessed by the Govt slashing funding, we really don't give a shit about it. (I exclude all the lovelies of PAS of course). Most people have no idea why it is important to have 100% qualified staff in all ECE centres (all AKA kindergartens are staffed by fully qualified, registered teachers), and I can go into length about that if people wanted. But I siuspect I would be preaching to the converted. Most people think of kindy teachers as kind, lovely people who care greatly for their children. Well, that's true. But I have a degree and am specifically trained to teach 3-5 year olds (and can actually teach in Primary and Secondary if I so chose, which I don't. And to give context, people who are primary trained are paid as untrained if they work in Kindergartens.). I am au courant with the latest theories on teaching and learning, and I am able to rattle those off too, if you like. The point is, that ECE in this country is ludicrously underfunded. Because as a society, we have let that happen. Anyway, I could go on, and I won't. Suffice to say, we're in a hostile environment at the moment for all educatiors, but because early childhood is not compulsory, Tolley wants rid of us from the State Sector - eventually, if she had her way, I suspect - and if people really want to send their kids to a place where quality education and care by trained teachers is happening and you don't want to pay exorbitant fees? Good luck.
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Oh, how I do love your boys. Just love them. Love their facility with language. Love their conceptual quirks. Love, love, love their shining and heroic acts of individualism in this world of mundanity and loss of self. Don't tell them that though. They would doubtless think it was icky.
And also, what would you call it when a child says to another child (after a couple of days of discussions between the two of us about challenge: what constitutes one, and why challenges are important to our sense of wellbeing): "You have to challenge yourself! If you put the ladder under the monkey bars, you are not challenging yourself!" He was, of course, met by a look of disdain and disgust from his female companion. I asked her why she looked at him so. "He talks too much." Well, yes, quite. -
Can I just say, also, that you have all made this first time posting thing very easy? It's been a bit overwhelming to realise that people are actually interested in what I have to say. And a bit humbling too. It gives me a very great appreciation for what Russell, and the rest of our regular bloggers do.
I have always believed that you have to be careful with whatever words you put out there. You never know where they are going to fall. So thanks everyone for letting mine fall softly.