Letters: Who made Act leader David Seymour the boss of education?

A reader writes that our schools are in trouble now Associate Education Minister David Seymour is seemingly calling all the shots, as ideology is trumping educational evidence and localism. Photo / Alyse Wright

Is Act in charge of education now?

What is the Minister of Education doing – in fact, who is the minister? It seems the Associate Minister is the boss. Act’s David Seymour is instituting policies that are purely ideological and not a central position of the coalition partners.

Forcing local state schools to become charter schools on a whim based on Act ideology will destroy the important place those local schools play in local issues. You would have thought local town planners and populations who have done fundraising, worked on working bees and acted as board members have a right to say whether their local school will now be operated as a private school where teachers are forbidden to belong to the teachers’ union and will not necessarily be trained.

When ideology trumps educational evidence and localism, our schools are in trouble. Why should children be forced to travel out of zone when their local state school turns into a for-profit charter school? Seymour’s “known-to-fail” experimental schools are coming to your suburb soon.

Frankie Letford, Hamilton.

Forgotten cost

There has been a lot of discussion about the proposal to increase the speed limit on some roads to 120km/h.

Most of the discussion has been around safety. What about the increased cost and increased pollution? Take my car, for example. At a steady 100km/h, my car will use 5.5 litres per 100 km.

If I increase my speed to 120km/h, my consumption increases to 7.8 litres per 100km – a huge increase in consumption, cost and carbon pollution.

I am surprised the Greens and the AA have not raised this. The reality is that most drivers are ill-equipped to drive at 120km/h on New Zealand’s sub-standard roads in our ancient fleet of cars. There are far more important issues the Government should be dealing with than playing with the speed limits.

Jock Mac Vicar, Hauraki.

Define ‘peaceful’

Correspondents Frank Olsson and Johann Nordberg (Weekend Herald, September 28) both refer to China as not being an enemy to New Zealand. They argue that Aukus is not a good fit for this country, therefore we should back out of applying for level two admission. The inference in both letters is that China is a peaceful nation and we would do well to avoid upsetting them.

I presume that the writers penned their letters after China launched one of its “peaceful” ballistic missiles into the South Pacific. Peaceful China is also supplying military aid to Russia to assist in its war with Ukraine. It is a “decisive enabler of Russia’s war in Ukraine” through its provision of dual-use technology. Not forgetting, of course, the ongoing battle against the Philippines and India. Not sure that “peaceful” quite makes the cut.

Allen Jones, Cambridge.

Smoke and mirrors

We recently returned from a relaxing holiday in the Cook Islands. Everything about the time away was perfect: the sunshine, the people, tikanga, the air we breathed. On the return flight, it occurred to us that, during the two weeks, we had not seen a single person smoking or vaping. Sensible/restrictive legislation means better health for all on Rarotonga, Aitutaki and Atiu. Kia orana!

Shame on New Zealand’s policymakers, and minister Casey Costello in particular. New Zealand has so much to learn.

Vicki Carpenter, Grey Lynn.

A scary new phase

The killing of Hezbollah’s leader is not the end. It is the commencement of a more widespread campaign of violence against Israel.

The consequences of this fresh round of bloodshed inevitably will involve Iran, Yemen, Syria and Iraq... all countries harbouring local armed forces hostile to Israel. The UN-proposed ceasefire is now out of the question and the unpredictable outcome of these recent events can lead to a Middle East war zone on the edge of anarchy.

The diplomacy of de-escalation is now more important than ever. We had better hope for cooler heads and international pressures for peace to prevail.

Larry Mitchell, Rothesay Bay.

Du Val fallout

With the catastrophic demise of the Du Val Group, one would hope that the owners, Charlotte and Kenyon Clarke, are preparing for a new life in a two-bedroom unit after doing all they can to ensure those who are owed money get paid.

If they remain in a life of luxury while contractors remain out of pocket, this only proves that accountability for failed business ventures needs addressing.

John Ford, Napier.

Rates protest

Given that continually escalating council rates are paid from income remaining after central government taxation and compulsory ACC levies – in effect, triple taxation – and also attract GST (for a dubious good and abysmal service) – therefore, quadruple taxation – perhaps conscientious objectors like Dilip Rupa (NZ Herald, September 30) should be applauded rather than vilified for resisting local body extortion.

Mike Wagg, Freemans Bay.