Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Research Fail

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  • David Hood,

    Stephen, would that be
    this link

    Dunedin • Since May 2007 • 1445 posts Report

  • Megan Wegan,

    No link unfortunately

    It's here

    Or here at 8:18.

    Welly • Since Jul 2008 • 1275 posts Report

  • Andre Alessi,

    I could do with a whole lot less Sue Kedgely in my life, but if that's a sin of omission, I'm going to have to start appending "before you die" to every request I make of anyone ever.

    Devonport, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 864 posts Report

  • Rich Lock,

    contributions from some of your team

    Are we a team now? When's Haydn dropping my uniform round? Remember I need a snug fit, Haydn. I like the Laydeez to see what's on offer.

    by private school, you mean a school that teaches for money"?

    No: in my experience, great teachers — whoever their employers — teach because they love it, and almost the money they earn is incidental (invariably they can earn much bigger money in international schools around the world — those, for instance, which oil companies have to run in the tropics to attract staff).

    And to seriously address just one of your points. I believe Islander's question was about the motivation of schools - i.e. the corporate entity. Not the motivation of individual teachers.

    A private school obviously will teach for money. They are a money-making entity. That is what they do.

    The teachers within it may (or may not) be excellent, but that's beside the point. And if they are excellent, there are dozens of reasons why they might choose private over public 'because they love it'. Not having to teach to an oversized class, for example, and so able to focus more on individual students. That might be quite rewarding, no?

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report

  • Kyle Matthews,

    Have you ever known a private school to go out of its way to take the bottom 20% of anything?

    I have a pre-school family member with Downs Syndrome and her parents looked around Wellington for a place to put her in schooling and in the end went with a kindy attached to a private school (I presume the kindy is also private). Has a uniform for the little kids and everything. They've been very happy with the support and assistance that the school provided them and her development.

    Which may be an exception of course, and is pre-primary.

    A private school obviously will teach for money. They are a money-making entity. That is what they do.

    That's often the case, but I'd imagine that some schools have motivations about being private which are largely for other reasons - method of teaching, religious community etc etc. Sure, some of them will make a potload of money, but some will be scraping by like every public school.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report

  • Sam F,

    That's often the case, but I'd imagine that some schools have motivations about being private which are largely for other reasons - method of teaching, religious community etc etc. Sure, some of them will make a potload of money, but some will be scraping by like every public school.

    Back in 2008 I wrote a guest post at Paul Litterick's blog on the topic of private schools and the dilemma of state integration. The post seems in retrospect a bit snarky, but it seemed that these schools were mostly trying to stay open and teach in the way they thought best rather than rake in the dollars at all costs (even if Carey College's idea of quality education seems a bit screwy...).

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1611 posts Report

  • giovanni tiso,

    Which may be an exception of course, and is pre-primary.

    No, you're quite right, I was being excessively polemical. There is a private school in our area that does good work with children with disabilities and is admirably inclusive (so long as you're happy to go along with the Christian thing, but fair enough). It still doesn't go anywhere near balancing the problem of all the private schools (and some of the public ones) that do just the opposite, and which ought to be addressed as a matter of urgency, but is never going to in the name of the "freedom of choice" faux egalitarian credo.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • recordari,

    Was going to bring up the State Integrated schools, who get funding to not only teach, but also indoctrinate. Guess it is the parents right to choose, so we can't judge them on that. Many do well academically, and one particular Auckland SI school pumps out rock bands like... nope, can't think of anything.

    Through Asia, and now many parts of the Middle East, the existence and success of private international schools depends almost entirely on the Expat population who are not eligible for state funded schools. Many companies, until recently, also included education in the job packages. This means we are not comparing apples with apples when discussing private schools in New Zealand, for New Zealanders.

    At the end of the day, it's night time. (Sorry, stole that one from Willie Apiata on Twitter.)

    At the end of the day, the same leadership required to run a successful private school is required to run a successful state funded school, IMhO. It is very hard to distill down to byte size bits what makes good schools tick. It may be a teacher, it may be a parent on the Board, or a visionary principal. Obviously we have to have some sort of system, but one that celebrates diversity over uniformity is always going to get my vote. National Standards? Not so much.

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Craig gives a masterclass is disingenousness, since even with the omitted phrase the Minister's quote was about as clear a threat as "lovely premises you have here - shame if something were to happen to them - not that it's likely to of course."

    No it's not, Giovani. But nice to see that cutting off your quote at the point where it stops being politically useful and omitting a rather significant bit of context isn't so bad after all.

    If that's not a lie of omission, then nothing is. Carry on, but please don't ride that moral high horse through my house any more.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report

  • giovanni tiso,

    Why, do you have carpeting?

    Look, I'm generally the first person to join in the Kedgley bashing, but the first half of your comment notwithstanding, the idea that the omission from the Minister's quote altered its meaning is ludicrous. Andre summed it up rather well.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    but please don't ride that moral high horse through my house any more.

    Why, do you have carpeting?

    My friend put a stable door ( split) on the back door of his house and the horses could look through into the Kitchen.
    He stupidly left the horse feed on the floor inside the back door. One day he came home to the horses inside the house and the horse feed gone. The horses had kicked the lower half of the door in. They were well fed that day. :)

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report

  • stephen clover,

    friend

    Oh, yup, a "friend" :))

    wgtn • Since Sep 2007 • 355 posts Report

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    True Story. His horse (Hine) still goes inside. That was where we got our dog from.This is Stella. If you knew our friend you would understand. He does have a way with te animals. :)

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report

  • Alien Lizard (anag),

    [steps back, nothing happens]

    when summoning Keithulhu you must always remember to sacrifice a virgin...
    or as Mr Judd put it in the next post:

    The cherry picking of students comes up.

    The Arrrgh Complex • Since Jan 2010 • 158 posts Report

  • Cecelia,

    Stella. Butter wouldn't melt.

    And I love your plants.

    Hibiscus Coast • Since Apr 2008 • 559 posts Report

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    Thanks,the back is comimg along nicely now that the plants are settled. I'm going for a jungle :) Plus yes, Stella is as sweet as she poses.She is able to make us laugh every day, which is something I cherish.

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report

  • Sacha,

    He stupidly left the horse feed on the floor inside the back door.

    that's some sort of metaphor, right?

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Carol Stewart,

    This is Stella

    Is that your garden, Sofie? It's sensational.
    [speaking from the subantarctic windswept hilltops of wellington).

    Wellington • Since Jul 2008 • 830 posts Report

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    that's some sort of metaphor, right?

    It was sweet feed for horses, kinda like drugs Sacha :)

    Is that your garden, Sofie?

    Aye. That is at back. I'm working on the front more at te mo but it is starting to come together nicely. I just noticed how those seat covers really need replacing. I generally make new ones each summer and should do that tomorrow :).

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report

  • Paul Litterick,

    True Story. His horse (Hine) still goes inside. That was where we got our dog from.

    The mind boggles.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1000 posts Report

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    The mind boggles.

    Time of night darlin'

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    I'm still laughing at how clever that sounds.:)

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report

  • Sacha,

    sweet feed for high horses

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • recordari,

    The horse is high, so I'm moving on.

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report

  • Paul Williams,

    So far as I can see, nothing in the discussion warranted some of your responses. I'd like you to show more respect to others here, even when your ideas are challenged.

    I tuned out when Gordon's argument started to resemble a sermon. I likes expertise, I dislikes zealots.

    TOUGH ON EDUCATION. TOUGH ON THE CAUSES OF EDUCATION.

    Fuck that's funny. Just goes to show, you really can't skip a single comment here.

    A private school obviously will teach for money. They are a money-making entity. That is what they do.

    I don't think all private schools exist only to make money, however. My nephew went to Sacred Heart in Auckland, everything I've seen of that school convinces me it's a damn fine institituion committed to turning out kids with solid values and a commitment to public life. It's also pretty damn expensive. I'm not disagreeing with the general point being made, I just think some private schools remain genuine educational institutions. In this respect I agree with Sam F and Gio's subsequent comments.

    Thanks,the back is comimg along nicely now that the plants are settled. I'm going for a jungle :)

    You're in Wellington with that garden? That'd be one of them micro-climates right? Which reminds me, doing some leafleting at the last election, in around the south side of Karori or possibly Wilton, I discovered what appeared to be a permafrost... in November... jasus!

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report

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