Who benefits?
Regarding the letter by 'Fully Informed' in last Thursday's Northland Age, I would like to suggest that 'partially informed' might be a better pseudonym for someone who is not prepared to sign their own name. As regards that letter, I want to raise the following points.
Firstly, the organisers and facilitators at the top of FPS (Future Problem Solving) are not by any means substantial fiscal beneficiaries. Even the national director works on a voluntary basis. FPS does have a paid administrator working full-time for a part-time wage. She does this because she believes in the programme and the value of the programme to students. She even uses a spare bedroom at her house as the national FPS office because the programme doesn't raise enough money for office rent.
The young man mentioned in the letter from your correspondent was part of a community problem solving team who have been working on their project for two years, and are continuing to do so. Their second placing in the education division of CMPS was an amazing achievement. To belittle this achievement the way your correspondent did makes me wonder what type of person he/she is.
I was coach of a senior team at internationals in Indianapolis this year. The parents of each team member did no fundraising and paid their own way to the conference. As coach I also paid my own way.
None of the parents of my team felt "duped," but they appreciate the skills their children have acquired through participation in FPS. I received a card last week from the parents of one student saying their son (who has been a part of the FPS programme for seven years) has gained so much more than they could ever have imagined. They have seen his self-confidence and teamwork skills grow, and the work has enabled his natural interest in the big picture of global issues to flourish.
