Posts by Hilary Stace
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Reading this (while I should have been working on yet another paper) set me into a mild panic. I realised I haven't read any fiction, let alone a New Zealand novel, for months or possibly years. My bedside and deskside reading are piled with books (and reports, and peer reviewed articles), all non-fiction. Among them two great NZ works, however: WB Sutch's Quest for security in NZ, recently returned by Giovanni, and Jen Birch's fascinating autobiography, Congratulations! It's Asperger Syndrome. Then I remembered that a couple of summers ago I did allow myself to read Kate de Goldi's The 10 pm question, which is not just for young adults, and it was wonderful and vivid and reminded me I could still feel anxious and troubled by a brave, imaginary kid.
From what I recall Maurice Gee, Margaret Mahy and Patricia Grace are usually pretty reliable for memorable fiction to get lost in, but the last Gee I read was the one set on Tinakori Hill, which I live on, and I can't name a recent book from any of these writers (or perhaps they have quietly retired?) And for a one-time avid reader of new NZ fiction, I haven't read, and can't even picture, any of those you mention.
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My parents grew up in an era when the UK was still 'home' even though they, their parents and some of their grandparents were born here. I'm really boring. I've lived in the same suburb, the same street even (three different houses) almost all my life. I now live in my parents' second house half way down the street, not the modernist one on a steep section my father built in the 1950s further up the street. Their books and other stuff are all around still.
They spent a lot of their young adult life in Christchurch, and were married in the damaged brick church in Church Lane off Papanui Road, and even though it wasn't my place, I still feel sad for their landmarks, and wonder if they (on some etheric level) know what's happened.
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What happened in the 1990s (after the change of government) was that the Department of Education was scaled back to a small policy ministry, special ed services was split off as a business and schools could purchase their skills, and professions like speech language therapy had their career pathways removed, and training cut back. Planning for numbers of kids, or new teachers was seen as unnecessary as the market would provide what was required. Hence by the end of the 1990s huge shortages in SLTs, inadequate support for special needs kids and poorly privately trained teachers, who could be also paid minimally through bulk funding.
Just saying that the 1980s might have set some of this up, but most of the bad stuff in education happened in the 1990s. -
Hard News: Limping Onwards, in reply to BenWilson,
Section 8 of the 1989 Education Act (which set up Tomorrow's Schools) legislated for the right of all children, including disabled children, to attend their local school from 5-19 years, This was huge and I think Goff was minister at the time.
He also made playcentres free under the shift of pre-schools from Social Welfare to Education. I remember this vividly as it meant our playcentre was funded on roll returns like kindys and we didn't have to put all our energy into fundraising.
Special Ed 2000 which was the big push for mainstreaming (although poorly resourced and explained) and brought in the problematic ORRS scheme, was in 1996 under Minister Lockwood Smith.
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Hard News: Limping Onwards, in reply to Steve Barnes,
Steve, there was also the considerable progress on women's rights such as the battle to ratify the UN's CEDAW (to eliminate discrimination against women), the establishment of the Ministry of Women's Affairs, state support for childcare - also the removal of early childhood from social welfare to education, and the incredible discussion about social policy around the Royal Commision's report, which still provides a benchmark in many areas.
For those interested in this era from the perspective of some who were there the following is an interesting book (but only one chapter recognises the contribution of women: disclaimer I wrote it).
Margaret Clark (ed.) Lange and the Fourth Labour Government (Dunmore Press, 2006). -
Here is lawyer Simon Buckingham's excellent opinion piece in the latest Sunday Star-Times in response to Law's nastiness.
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Mine wasn't for publication either. But perhaps short angry emails are more effective than well considered letters to the ed. Anyhow it all goes on line eventually.
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Hard News: The Wall and the Paper, in reply to Tony Kennedy,
Tony Kennedy of Wellington features on the letters page.
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Simon Buckingham's piece is online here
Oops I think that's the wrong link. Anyhow it is on page A6 of the print copy and well worth reading.
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Hard News: The Wall and the Paper, in reply to Danyl Mclauchlan,
There is a laws column today but I didn't read it. What is worth reading, and I can't find it online, is an excellent response by Arie Smith-Voorkamp's lawyer, Simon Buckingham, which includes useful much useful information. His mention of 'rescuing' light fittings due to be dumped, changes the perspective. It's in the A section, and there are also some letters on the editorial page (including my angry complaint to the editor which wasn't intended for publication). (Disclaimer: I didn't buy the SST but I'm getting it free for four weeks as a potential subscriber)