Bethlehem College is an excellent educational institution with sound moral principles and integrity. Our child has never prospered as well as she has since attending the college in her seventh year of studies.
Her level of academic achievement and her overall wellbeing have improved dramatically, having previously attended a local public primary school.
I would gladly pay the $500 bond and more, if need be, for the privilege of sending our daughter to such a fine Christian-centred education.
To have been offered a refund was in my opinion a lovely surprise, and not one of a deviate suggestion or reasoning. Shame on you, Mr Thode.
College a choice
Re the story "School caught illegally charging parents $500".
If this was truly a private school, they should be entitled to charge whatever they want. What is the problem?
People are quite capable of choosing of their own free will - devoid of compulsion - whether to purchase goods or services with their own money. If the price is right, they will complete the transaction - if it is not, then they go somewhere else. This is why the concept of money is so good. You get to exchange it (or not) for something that you value.
Problems only arise when a third, non-productive party (government) interfere.
In the government-run education system, Kiwis are forced to pay for governments' socialist brainwashing centres, or pay the consequences. Private schools should be entitled to charge what they want, and teach what they want, not what the government say they must teach, otherwise that makes them just another government-run school.
Government's monopoly on the education system means parents really have no choice of the education their children receive, resulting in generations of socialist clones unable to think for themselves, all being taught only what Nanny approves - which perpetuates the immoral and faulty government system we are stuck with.
Graham Clark, Lower Kaimai
Don't want road
Concerning the letter from Raye Catran regarding my proposal for a roundabout at Belk Rd.
Raye Catran needs to get her facts correct before breaking into print.
Raye quoted "Mr Clarkson has been trying to divert State Highway 29 through his own land behind Tauriko School for his advantage and this appears to be yet another attempt".
The idea promoted by Raye of taking SH29 through my land and exiting at Cambridge Rd some time in the future was one of several ideas raised by Transit some years ago. Since that time I have had meetings with Transit and have confirmed to them that I am NOT interested in having a State Highway with smelly, noisy trucks intruding through my land at Tauriko.
If Raye Catran cannot understand that a roundabout level with the surrounding area with 200m sightlines would be an advantage, then she should keep away from road design.
Bob Clarkson, Tauranga
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