Letters: Classrooms are becoming unsafe environments

The real onus of behaviour in children should rest firmly on the head of parents, a reader says.Photo/File.

Bob McCoskrie's response to the opinion piece "Lack of beating not the reason for badly behaved children" (Opinion, June 14) is measured, accurate and timely.

Some school classrooms are becoming unsafe environments, both for students and teachers, and the current crisis in the educators versus government standoff is surely an indication of a spinoff from this ridiculous anti-smacking legislation.

There appears to be no accurate statistical evidence that this nonsensical legislation has had any success in reducing violence in society.

The earlier corporal punishment legislation instigated in the 90s had already made it harder in the classroom by taking away a seldom-used deterrent and yet we continue down this poorly cobbled path to anarchy and gross social disorder.

I hasten to add that it's not school children that cause violence in society, the real onus of behaviour in children should rest firmly on the head of parents and to expect schools to become the dispensers of social niceties is a bit rich. When society ignores the wisdom, proven over ages that the Bible teaches then we reap the social whirlwind that the Bible predicts.

John Williams
Ngongotaha

Family in tent

Regarding the article on seven people living in a tent, those concerned need to realise they need to move into separate houses if they cannot get a big enough one for them all.

In my view, If they continue living in a tent, the children need to be taken into care. Also, do not own animals unless you own your own home.

Brenda Green
Rotorua

How many members?

According to the Rotorua District Residents and Ratepayers' constitution, the society's purpose is "to represent the values and interest of its members".

The RDRR Facebook page states that its purpose is to advance the interests of RDRR members.

This is rather surprising for an organisation purporting to represent Rotorua residents and ratepayers.

The narrow focus on representing its own membership makes it important for us all to know how many members there are and how representative they are of the wider community.

Available information is contradictory. According to the minutes of the November 2017 RDRR AGM (the most recent included in the RDRR website), there were 280 financial members.

The minutes show an attendance of just 22 at that meeting.

Perhaps it tells us something about the organisation if only about 8 per cent of its members felt strongly enough to attend its AGM.

Elsewhere on the website it says that there are more than 400 members.

The RDRR Facebook page says "683 members, associates and friends".

Associates are non-members who subscribe at no cost to receive RDRR emails, so cannot fairly be described as members.

Friends are not defined. Perhaps Facebook friends?

Could an RDRR officer please advise how many paid-up financial members there are at this point as we approach the election? (Abridged)

Keith Garratt
Rotorua

Defence spending

So we can afford to spend $20 billion on defending ourselves - from what?

What could we possibly do to defend ourselves? Jacinda wants to take all our guns away so we would have to use pitchforks and the only country that wants our country is China and they are buying it.

The easiest way to defend ourselves is to invite - encourage the US to open naval bases in New Zealand, that will discourage any enemies - it will also bring extra income.

The thing that really gets my goat is a headline about the starving school children, being cold, wet and hungry and expected to learn is not the way to go about bringing up healthy, intelligent kids to run the place in future years.

Twenty billion dollars would feed and clothe all the children.

Mind you, it would help a lot if they just took the GST off food.

This is a national disgrace - taxing food. (Abridged)

Jim Adams
Rotorua

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