I must stop reading news on the internet while eating breakfast...

[PrincessBandit]

Two stories caught my attention while wolfing down my toast this morning:
1. Primary school children being encouraged to call their teachers by their first name.
2. State Services Commission wanting to restrict principals and teachers from criticising the government.

So here we have on one hand teachers having to put up with children calling them by their christian name (although it's supposed to be at the school's/teacher's choice...) and on the other not being allowed to speak out against the powers that be regarding concerns where politics have a worrying impact on the school system.

Am I the only one who thinks this is a bit screwy??
Maybe it's just me....

For the record, I have allowed some senior students in the past to call me by my first name as by year 12/13 some of them have earned that privilege (in my opinion); there are many other students who I would be very unhappy about taking that liberty.

Now that I've managed to clear my choking piece of toast and wipe my watering eyes I will go and continue getting ready for school.

[Trudes]

Geezus, I still call friends of my mum "Mrs and Mr whatever" and not by their first name!! I hear kids calling adults by their first names a lot... when did that start happening? The only adults we called by their first names had 'uncle' or 'aunty' put in front.

[steve_t]

Yeah, let's remove any minute trace of any remnants of respect kids have for their teachers. Teachers are to now be seen as equals (or possibly inferior) and should be known by their first name or nickname. This is my english teacher Timmy, and this is my maths teacher Big Dave. In fact, children should be encouraged to call their parents by their first names and to tell them to go fuck themselves if a parent tries to tell them what to do

[Trudes]

hahaha, yeah, I didn't even know my parents HAD first names until I was about 8!! And teachers were NOT human.... they were these entities that must be obeyed!!

[Pussy]

Geezus, I still call friends of my mum "Mrs and Mr whatever" and not by their first name!! I hear kids calling adults by their first names a lot... when did that start happening? The only adults we called by their first names had 'uncle' or 'aunty' put in front.

Same here!
I still address some of my CLIENTS as Mr or Mrs ****!
My 26 year old nephew still calls me Uncle... although just recently I said to him that I appreciate the courtesy, but just call me John

[MisterD]

The only adults we called by their first names had 'uncle' or 'aunty' put in front.

My real Aunty and Uncle told me to drop those tags ahead of their first names about twenty years ago and it still feels a bit weird...

[Rayray401]

there goes respect, straight out the window...

[Ixion]

What becaome of "Sir" and "Ma'am"

[Number One]

Me too Trudes, though times they are a changing.

Heaps of parents I meet tell our boy to call them by their first name...might be a response to the whole don't get the title wrong thing..ya know, Miss, Ms or Mrs...some people are really touchy about that.

I have had quite a few of the kids address me as 'Ryan's mum'...it's kinda cute.

I must say I find myself introducing friends as aunty this and uncle that...but then again this is reserved only for those that are part of my chosen family.

[Mikkel]

Holy shit, I didn't realise that NZ was that bloody old fashioned. When I went to school (primary, high and university all) we certainly addressed the teachers by their first name - hell, I was on a first name basis with our principal.

Nothing rude or disrespectful about it either. Just the way it is. Maybe, just maybe, my parents would have addressed their primary school teachers by their last name.

[duckonin]

Yes the world and respect for others has changed, I still call those unkown to me MR or Mrs unless otherwise instructed, at a greeting If the first name is used then it stands...

I would rather call JK( Mr Keys), that way it allows me to call him a prize prick a little more easily..

[p.dath]

I don't think their is any correlation between the use of "Mr, Ms, Miss or Mrs" and a persons first name when defining respect.

Respect is something earned.

[James Deuce]

Point 2 needs a BIKEOI. That. Is. Horrendous.

[Maha]

Geezus, I still call friends of my mum "Mrs and Mr whatever" and not by their first name!! I hear kids calling adults by their first names a lot... when did that start happening? The only adults we called by their first names had 'uncle' or 'aunty' put in front.

Mr and Mrs Whatever is truely a funny name.
I worked some people last week and thier surname was Tantrum.

I think kids calling me Mark is kinda cute and would rather it that way to be honest, I know some adults that even call me Maha, I answer to both.

[Squiggles]

What becaome of "Sir"

I go on a power trip everytime they call me it