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

**Hawkeye** · 4th December 2009, 15:51

Originally Posted by StoneY

I worked for ERO (Education Review office) a very hard working and severly underappreciated govt office for 15 months

Shit. Is there anywhere you haven't worked.

**Naki Rat** · 4th December 2009, 16:00

Originally Posted by avgas

Not at school its not.
Under the age of about 15 - kids don't know shit about earning respect. If they are lucky they will have learnt it.
Imagine a 13 y/o comming home saying "That John is a fucken wanker, i Fucking hate him."
Atleast in the good old day the sentense read "Mr Bennett is a fucking wanker, I fucking hate him" - respect is maintained by default, not by choice

And in the good old days said 13 y/o would have got a kicked arse from his Dad and balance would have been restored in the world

These days Dad would risk an assault charge if he tried that on, as would Mr. Bennett, and given a couple of years of that sort of PC BS the then 15 y/o is out causing mayhem in his hotted up shitbox car and lining themselves up for the attentions of the police and judicial system who all "have it in for him/her". WTF is up with the world

**Gareth51** · 5th December 2009, 09:28

Some schools have always called their teachers by their first name.

**marty** · 5th December 2009, 09:44

My son (just finished yr13) has a couple of teachers as facebook friends.

'Baggsy' and 'Scottish' (scottish is the teacher's nickname - he's - well - scottish...) they call him - only the yr13s though. The kids have TOTAL respect for these guys. So much so, that when they all went on sports camp, I asked my son to try to stay out of trouble - he said 'we wouldn't do that to Baggsy'

**Sidewinder** · 5th December 2009, 09:55

Originally Posted by 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.

do you just let the ones you sleep with call you by your first name?

**shafty** · 5th December 2009, 10:06

Originally Posted by StoneY

I worked for ERO (Education Review office) a very hard working and severly underappreciated govt office for 15 months

Both stories had me concerned too
Especially the one about 'not speaking against thegovt'
WTF

Nazi'ism is illegal yeah?
Since when has NZ been a facist dictatorship?

Remove the teachers voices at great peril to our freedom, and the ability of our system to improve and develop
They ARE the front line, if anyone deserves a voice its THEM

The first name issue, I think its a possibilty of the very last bastion of respect and what was once known as 'manners' falling to modern pshyco babble

Bonding.......pfffft

What He said!

I'm based in Bahrain at the mo - I get called Sir everyday, - although I treat the greeter as an equal everytime.

A stunning co-incidence is that there is absolutely minimal crime here.................

**lb99** · 5th December 2009, 11:33

I hate it when other peoples kids speak out of turn...

been doing school visits with my yooungest, constantly surrounded by brats going "whats your name?",
I reply "I am ******'s Dad"
they reply "whats your name?"
"I am ******'s Dad"
"whats your name?"
"Mr *****"
(blank stare) "whats your name?"

ffs
happens at preschool too, do people not teach kids not to speak unless spoken to anymore?

drives me nuts

**MacD** · 5th December 2009, 13:30

Originally Posted by James Deuce

What a ridiculous argument. A government that feels the need to even speculate on passing a regulation like that is clearly a government in crisis.

Is everyone completely unconcerned that the people teaching our children will lose their right to free speech.

Yes I am deeply concerned. Unfortunately this has been creeping into tertiary education for a while too, despite their statutory role as a "critic and conscience of society".

**rustic101** · 5th December 2009, 13:38

Originally Posted by 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.

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.

the piece about National wanting to privatise school management lol. Maybe we need to add Whats Next to Whos Next.

**avgas** · 5th December 2009, 13:51

Originally Posted by Flatcap

How do we know if a teacher is good or not? Do they have acheivement reviews?

I talk to people. You should try it sometime.
FYI kids talk too - perhaps you could try them.

Assumption.....
Or do you want a process to make everything ok with you. How about ISO cert?

**p.dath** · 5th December 2009, 13:58

Originally Posted by Flatcap

How do we know if a teacher is good or not? Do they have acheivement reviews?

I understand a new review system has just been introduced to grade both teachers and schools.

Surprisingly, schools and teachers were almost unanimously against the new system being introduced, and they levelled a lot of criticism against the Government for "steam rolling" it in.

**Winston001** · 5th December 2009, 14:34

Originally Posted by 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.

The reason we use honorifics with people whom we do not personally know is to show courtesy and respect to them. We recognise their privacy and that meeting them is at a certain level removed from friendship and intimacy.

The use of first names is common enough and once invited, doesn't mean any disrespect. It means the person you are speaking to is comfortable with you knowing them a little better and on a less formal basis. However it does remove a level of remoteness and in the classroom.....well teachers have a tough enough time with discipline anyway so I can't see first names being a winner.

**Winston001** · 5th December 2009, 14:40

Originally Posted by p.dath

Respect is something earned.

Not picking on you p.dath

but I must gently disagree.

IMHO everyone - and I mean everyone - should be treated with respect. A person then only loses this right when they do something which earns your disrespect.

I think this is one of our fundamental social problems - the attitude that we don't have to respect anyone or show them courtesy until they earn it. This opens the door to verbal abuse, vandalism, a complete dismissal of the rights of individuals and property.

**James Deuce** · 5th December 2009, 15:17

Originally Posted by lb99

I hate it when other peoples kids speak out of turn...

been doing school visits with my yooungest, constantly surrounded by brats going "whats your name?",
I reply "I am ******'s Dad"
they reply "whats your name?"
"I am ******'s Dad"
"whats your name?"
"Mr *****"
(blank stare) "whats your name?"

ffs
happens at preschool too, do people not teach kids not to speak unless spoken to anymore?

drives me nuts

No, they don't. Kids also don't know how to greet each other. Simple shit like "Good Morning" can get half a class of Kindy kids balling.

I love it.

**James Deuce** · 5th December 2009, 15:18

Originally Posted by Winston001

Not picking on you p.dath

but I must gently disagree.

IMHO everyone - and I mean everyone - should be treated with respect. A person then only loses this right when they do something which earns your disrespect.

I think this is one of our fundamental social problems - the attitude that we don't have to respect anyone or show them courtesy until they earn it. This opens the door to verbal abuse, vandalism, a complete dismissal of the rights of individuals and property.

Treat everyone like God because they are.

The "look after yiouself and fuck everyone else" ethos that permeates NZ society is truly awesome to watch in action. If it wasn't for the actions of 3 people in the last 6 years I wouldn't be here. 3 people/couples. Everyone else, including family, just fucked off into the distance when it got hard.