It seems that the expectations of what a school teacher is supposed to do when a fight breaks out in a schoolyard is masked in " political correctness ". The headmaster of Collarenebri school in western New South Wales will no doubt be relieved that the education department has announced that he will " not be disciplined " for his actions in breaking up a fight !
Two fourteen year old girls set about each other and the headmaster called to another teacher to " Grab one of them ". The second girl continued to attack the girl being held and the headmaster crash tackled her to the ground. All this was recorded on the ever present camera phones - and other students seemed keen to let the fight continue.
The girl the headmaster crash tackled was Aboriginal, and her father complained about the action taken. He complained that this " was not right " - and referred the matter to the education department for disciplinary action.
The big question that goes unanswered is - " Just what action is a teacher supposed to take when a fight breaks out and there is a chance that one of the participants may be injured ? "
Suppose this teacher had not intervened. Suppose he had merely demanded that the girls discontinue the fighting and that the more powerfully built girl had managed to inflict a serious injury on her opponent. No doubt that headmaster would have been severely criticised for his lack of action to breakup the fight.
We seem to be heading towards an interpretation of the rules that infers that there must be no physical contact of any kind between a teacher and students. That seems to apply to the sporting field as well as the classroom. Most teachers in today's world think that giving a distressed student a hug or a pat on the back is to be avoided - because it could be interpreted as some sort of sexual move. Political correctness has introduced the spectre of " suspicion " to loom over any display of human kindness.
It seems that our world of schooling is degenerating into a sterile division of " them and us " when it comes to relations between teachers and their charges. This well publicised case from Collarenebri will reinforce the option that when a fight breaks out, stand back and use voice commands - but under no circumstances become physically involved, no matter what injuries are likely to happen as a result of the fight.
A teacher taking that course of action could become the subject of a disciplinary hearing - for failing to keep order in the school yard. No wonder teaching school is fast becoming " Mission Impossible ! "
Thursday, 6 June 2013
Wednesday, 5 June 2013
The " Minimum Wage " enigma !
Low wage Australian workers have just been granted a raise of 41 c an hour. Predictably, the unions claim that this is not enough and industry claims that it will make manufacturing less competitive - and cause job losses.
They are probably both right. The enigma of setting a minimum wage - as opposed to letting market forces prevail - is the difference between a civilized country and the law of the jungle.
We are surrounded by many countries where people literally starve to death if they have an infirmity that prevents them from working and earning a living. There is no welfare safety net and vast millions live in slums - or simply exist on the streets of overcrowded cities.
This minimum wage rise of 2.6% takes the weekly pay packet to $622 and there is no doubt that any person earning wages at that ;level will have problems paying rent, gas and electricity bills - and putting food on the table. It is a long way short of the $ 1396 that the average wage earner receives - and that increased 4.5% in the past year.
It is a fact of life that Australia has the highest minimum wage in the developed world according to OECD. Some will claim that this is the reason we are becoming less competitive in the manufacturing sector, but it is not manufacturing that is employing minimum wage people. The vast majority of manufacturing jobs fall into that average wage segment.
The minimum wage people are those that clean offices, do the unskilled jobs that trained people shun and are usually " on call " casuals who are desperate for more hours of work to bring wages up to survival levels.
Lifting the minimum wage was probably a wise decision. Allowing the lowly paid to slip further down the poverty scale would have repercussions on crime levels and obvious destitution. Employers will grumble, but they will manage to accommodate finding a few extra dollars and that 41 c an hour may be the difference between eating or going hungry for some families.
We will always have working poor who earn less than the average person because they lack the skills to get a better job. We will remain a humane society when we ensure that the unfortunates at the bottom of the earnings ladder do not slip below the poverty line that balances welfare, jobs - and sheer survival.
The measure of a just society - is when it provides the means for those needing skills to access the learning process and gain the means to climb the ladder to escape poverty !
They are probably both right. The enigma of setting a minimum wage - as opposed to letting market forces prevail - is the difference between a civilized country and the law of the jungle.
We are surrounded by many countries where people literally starve to death if they have an infirmity that prevents them from working and earning a living. There is no welfare safety net and vast millions live in slums - or simply exist on the streets of overcrowded cities.
This minimum wage rise of 2.6% takes the weekly pay packet to $622 and there is no doubt that any person earning wages at that ;level will have problems paying rent, gas and electricity bills - and putting food on the table. It is a long way short of the $ 1396 that the average wage earner receives - and that increased 4.5% in the past year.
It is a fact of life that Australia has the highest minimum wage in the developed world according to OECD. Some will claim that this is the reason we are becoming less competitive in the manufacturing sector, but it is not manufacturing that is employing minimum wage people. The vast majority of manufacturing jobs fall into that average wage segment.
The minimum wage people are those that clean offices, do the unskilled jobs that trained people shun and are usually " on call " casuals who are desperate for more hours of work to bring wages up to survival levels.
Lifting the minimum wage was probably a wise decision. Allowing the lowly paid to slip further down the poverty scale would have repercussions on crime levels and obvious destitution. Employers will grumble, but they will manage to accommodate finding a few extra dollars and that 41 c an hour may be the difference between eating or going hungry for some families.
We will always have working poor who earn less than the average person because they lack the skills to get a better job. We will remain a humane society when we ensure that the unfortunates at the bottom of the earnings ladder do not slip below the poverty line that balances welfare, jobs - and sheer survival.
The measure of a just society - is when it provides the means for those needing skills to access the learning process and gain the means to climb the ladder to escape poverty !
Tuesday, 4 June 2013
New " Asbestos " Certificate !
A Federal plan to make presentation of an Asbestos appraisal certificate mandatory before an existing home can be sold, leased or renovated will fill many people with dismay. The reason for this measure is unclear - and what requirements will be added is unknown.
Most houses built from 1945 to 1987 have at least some asbestos content. It was a popular external wall cladding and a roofing material. It was commonly used for bathroom floors, and wherever tiling was needed asbestos was the preferred base for this work. Outside the home, asbestos was usually used for sheds, garages - and even boundary fences.
There is no doubt that asbestos is a very dangerous threat to health. If the asbestos fibres are disturbed and enter human lungs they cause life threatening diseases and 40,000 Australians are expected to die from this cause over coming decades.
Most experts agree that it is relatively safe if left undisturbed. Danger arises if a home containing asbestos is being renovated - or demolished. Strict handling and disposal protocols are in place and tip fees for asbestos disposal carry premiums.
This certificate proposal is a new measure that will require owners to consult a licensed assessor and have the house inspected. The report would indicate where asbestos is present and this preparation is expected to cost between $ 150 and $ 200. It would be required whenever a home is offered for sale, becomes rental property - or renovation work is proposed.
It is hard to see what value this proposal will achieve. The dangers of asbestos are widely known - as is the fact that most older homes are riddled with it. This merely adds to the bureaucratic demands that presently exist with property searches - and will be added to reach into tenancy laws. Like all other housing defects, it is a case of " Buyer beware " and do your homework before you commit to signing a purchase or leasehold agreement.
The cynical will wonder what ulterior motives may be lurking in the background. This will certainly create a new certification industry and the bureaucracy loves shuffling paperwork that creates long time delays in getting official approvals - and costs money !
It is difficult to see what benefit this proposal will achieve !
Most houses built from 1945 to 1987 have at least some asbestos content. It was a popular external wall cladding and a roofing material. It was commonly used for bathroom floors, and wherever tiling was needed asbestos was the preferred base for this work. Outside the home, asbestos was usually used for sheds, garages - and even boundary fences.
There is no doubt that asbestos is a very dangerous threat to health. If the asbestos fibres are disturbed and enter human lungs they cause life threatening diseases and 40,000 Australians are expected to die from this cause over coming decades.
Most experts agree that it is relatively safe if left undisturbed. Danger arises if a home containing asbestos is being renovated - or demolished. Strict handling and disposal protocols are in place and tip fees for asbestos disposal carry premiums.
This certificate proposal is a new measure that will require owners to consult a licensed assessor and have the house inspected. The report would indicate where asbestos is present and this preparation is expected to cost between $ 150 and $ 200. It would be required whenever a home is offered for sale, becomes rental property - or renovation work is proposed.
It is hard to see what value this proposal will achieve. The dangers of asbestos are widely known - as is the fact that most older homes are riddled with it. This merely adds to the bureaucratic demands that presently exist with property searches - and will be added to reach into tenancy laws. Like all other housing defects, it is a case of " Buyer beware " and do your homework before you commit to signing a purchase or leasehold agreement.
The cynical will wonder what ulterior motives may be lurking in the background. This will certainly create a new certification industry and the bureaucracy loves shuffling paperwork that creates long time delays in getting official approvals - and costs money !
It is difficult to see what benefit this proposal will achieve !
Monday, 3 June 2013
Fort " Schoolhouse " !
We live in a changing world and it seems that our schools are morphing into suburban fortresses. Parents are clamouring for fencing and security checks at entrances. Having armed guards on the premises is not entirely out of the question.
At regular intervals we hear reports of intruders entering school properties. There have been instances where children have been sexually assaulted when they have left class to go to the toilets. There is not even safety in numbers because some brazen deviants are quite open in their actions.
The trip to and from school is fast changing. The days when kids used to walk home in safety seem behind us. More parents are insisting in driving their young ones or insisting they take the bus. Car pooling is gaining traction. The idea of a roster to ensure that an adult is present on each school journey is becoming a fact of life.
The safety issue is intruding into sport. Many schools do not have sports fields on their premises and sport is conducted elsewhere - usually on council property. Some parents are becoming wary at allowing even supervised sport because of the danger from perverts, and this is crippling efforts to widen sports activities for health reasons.
Education departments are working to a plan to erect tall safety fencing around all schools. Priority was given to schools in what was termed " unsafe " areas and schools in " good " suburbs were low on the list. Tragedies overseas and local incidents here have created pressure for the fencing programme to apply to all unfenced schools immediately - and for schools to be included in the cctv safety network.
Education standards are about to get enhanced by the " Gonski " initiative delivering a lot of new money. Unfortunately, some of this will be syphoned off from teaching to keeping kids safe within the education system. We already have road crossing guards supervising car traffic at the start and end of the school day. It seems inevitable that when the fencing programme is complete, there will be a clamour for a " gatekeeper " to be stationed at school entry and exit points. This will certainly add to educational costs,
Why all this is becoming necessary continues to elude reason. Some will sheet the blame home to the use of mind altering drugs. Others will place the blame on the state of the economy. Too many people seeking too few jobs, with the result that the unemployed have time on their hands. Others will blame the incessant spread of pornography. Most will be unable to even suggest the cause of this epidemic !
Whatever the cause, it seems to be a fact of life that the humble school is fast turning into a fortress. Fewer future kids will experience the joys of riding their bikes to the local creek for a swim - or to try their hand at fishing. The care free life of childhood is fast being governed by " risk factors " !
At regular intervals we hear reports of intruders entering school properties. There have been instances where children have been sexually assaulted when they have left class to go to the toilets. There is not even safety in numbers because some brazen deviants are quite open in their actions.
The trip to and from school is fast changing. The days when kids used to walk home in safety seem behind us. More parents are insisting in driving their young ones or insisting they take the bus. Car pooling is gaining traction. The idea of a roster to ensure that an adult is present on each school journey is becoming a fact of life.
The safety issue is intruding into sport. Many schools do not have sports fields on their premises and sport is conducted elsewhere - usually on council property. Some parents are becoming wary at allowing even supervised sport because of the danger from perverts, and this is crippling efforts to widen sports activities for health reasons.
Education departments are working to a plan to erect tall safety fencing around all schools. Priority was given to schools in what was termed " unsafe " areas and schools in " good " suburbs were low on the list. Tragedies overseas and local incidents here have created pressure for the fencing programme to apply to all unfenced schools immediately - and for schools to be included in the cctv safety network.
Education standards are about to get enhanced by the " Gonski " initiative delivering a lot of new money. Unfortunately, some of this will be syphoned off from teaching to keeping kids safe within the education system. We already have road crossing guards supervising car traffic at the start and end of the school day. It seems inevitable that when the fencing programme is complete, there will be a clamour for a " gatekeeper " to be stationed at school entry and exit points. This will certainly add to educational costs,
Why all this is becoming necessary continues to elude reason. Some will sheet the blame home to the use of mind altering drugs. Others will place the blame on the state of the economy. Too many people seeking too few jobs, with the result that the unemployed have time on their hands. Others will blame the incessant spread of pornography. Most will be unable to even suggest the cause of this epidemic !
Whatever the cause, it seems to be a fact of life that the humble school is fast turning into a fortress. Fewer future kids will experience the joys of riding their bikes to the local creek for a swim - or to try their hand at fishing. The care free life of childhood is fast being governed by " risk factors " !
Sunday, 2 June 2013
Recipe for future slums !
A trend is emerging to create a new source of income by adding a " Granny flat " to the backyard of an existing house. A number of building companies have swooped on this idea as the solution to lack of new building work and are offering modular units which can be built quickly and cheaply.
This idea gets the nod from both governments and councils. Government agencies are interested in keeping the elderly in their homes as opposed to the cost of creating new bed numbers in nursing homes. The " Granny flat " idea seems to mesh with either accommodating a cherished family member in the backyard of an offspring, or the offspring moving into the former family home and creating new accommodation for their loved one in the backyard. Either option suits government objectives.
Such " Granny flats " may serve that purpose initially, but the mental picture of a demure old lady living peacefully in such accommodation will morph into reality for some when there is a vacant granny flat being sought by desperate tenants trying to escape the rental shortage. Owners with this type of accommodation available will quickly realise that they can extract a hefty premium because rental scarcity has pushed rental prices through the roof !
The danger is that the combination of dwindling job opportunities and rising living costs may see this trend accelerate and turn pleasant suburbs into crowded slums. If necessity forces a family to squeeze into accommodation designed for a single person, the standard of living for both the owner family and the tenant family deteriorates. Both suffer a lack of privacy and there will inevitably be a rise in noise problems, not to mention car parking space problems on the street scene.
We already have a problem with some home owners turning dwellings into de facto boarding houses. Illegal partitioning has divided bedrooms into " sleeping spaces " and in some instances the number of tenants has resulted in " hot bunking " - where bed allocation is shared on a time basis.
Granny flats are a legitimate anwer to the problem of an aged relative in many cases, but once approved and built they offer a new source of income which may become essential for the owner. Not all tenants are " good " tenants and tenancy laws make it difficult to evict a " bad " tenant if they continue to pay the rent on time. Eviction is a long and difficult process, and when relations between the tenant and landlord deteriorate, a very unpleasant situation usually evolves.
This granny flat trend is in it's infancy and now would be a very good time to give careful thought to how it should be managed. There is a tendency for these units to be modular and constructed off site. Perhaps we need new laws to license them specifically for the purpose of housing a nominated person, and when that person becomes deceased the approval lapses. Modular units can be installed - and removed - using a crane and are therefore suitable for resale and relocation to a different address.
With careful planning this trend need not threaten our present way of life. It only presents a danger if it is allowed to rampage free of control !
This idea gets the nod from both governments and councils. Government agencies are interested in keeping the elderly in their homes as opposed to the cost of creating new bed numbers in nursing homes. The " Granny flat " idea seems to mesh with either accommodating a cherished family member in the backyard of an offspring, or the offspring moving into the former family home and creating new accommodation for their loved one in the backyard. Either option suits government objectives.
Such " Granny flats " may serve that purpose initially, but the mental picture of a demure old lady living peacefully in such accommodation will morph into reality for some when there is a vacant granny flat being sought by desperate tenants trying to escape the rental shortage. Owners with this type of accommodation available will quickly realise that they can extract a hefty premium because rental scarcity has pushed rental prices through the roof !
The danger is that the combination of dwindling job opportunities and rising living costs may see this trend accelerate and turn pleasant suburbs into crowded slums. If necessity forces a family to squeeze into accommodation designed for a single person, the standard of living for both the owner family and the tenant family deteriorates. Both suffer a lack of privacy and there will inevitably be a rise in noise problems, not to mention car parking space problems on the street scene.
We already have a problem with some home owners turning dwellings into de facto boarding houses. Illegal partitioning has divided bedrooms into " sleeping spaces " and in some instances the number of tenants has resulted in " hot bunking " - where bed allocation is shared on a time basis.
Granny flats are a legitimate anwer to the problem of an aged relative in many cases, but once approved and built they offer a new source of income which may become essential for the owner. Not all tenants are " good " tenants and tenancy laws make it difficult to evict a " bad " tenant if they continue to pay the rent on time. Eviction is a long and difficult process, and when relations between the tenant and landlord deteriorate, a very unpleasant situation usually evolves.
This granny flat trend is in it's infancy and now would be a very good time to give careful thought to how it should be managed. There is a tendency for these units to be modular and constructed off site. Perhaps we need new laws to license them specifically for the purpose of housing a nominated person, and when that person becomes deceased the approval lapses. Modular units can be installed - and removed - using a crane and are therefore suitable for resale and relocation to a different address.
With careful planning this trend need not threaten our present way of life. It only presents a danger if it is allowed to rampage free of control !
Saturday, 1 June 2013
More time and money !
Events of this week make it inevitable that the NBN roll out will suffer more time delays - and the final cost will again increase. A ham fisted sub-contractor restoring old Telstra " Junction Pits " managed to turn the media spotlight on their asbestos content, and now this work will receive micro attention across the entire continent.
Many of the original underground ducting and junction pits go back to the days when the Australian phone system was owned by the Postmaster General's Department, and that was a time when new homes were usually constructed with a high asbestos content. The telephone system has undergone several name changes since then, and now Telstra is the owner responsible for bringing the system up to standard and ready to receive the NBN connection.
Any remedial work involving asbestos requires the workers to wear protective gear and the surrounding area must be free of asbestos fibre contamination. It will probably need a tent like cover to prevent wind gusts scattering fibres - and now the genie is out of the bottle - how this is being done will be under intense scrutiny by not only the media but also the trade union movement.
The unions are already demanding that Telstra set up a James Hardie style compensation fund with a hundred million dollar bankroll to compensate any worker or householder who contracts an asbestos related disease from exposure to the work being done.
The frightening aspect is the huge number of junction pits scattered across Australia and the time delay that dealing with them safely will involve. The NBN is already way over budget and far beyond the original time estimates. This latest crisis is happening just weeks away from a Federal election and will lend credence to the suggestion that simply using " to the node " technology will save time delay by removing the need to do this upgrade work and carry the NBN to homes by using the existing copper wire system.
That would certainly give customers NBN access on a faster time frame, and delivering a direct connection could then progress on a " when required " basis, which is yet to be determined. Some people believe that only a select business segment needs super fast broadband and something far faster than the present offering would suit the needs of most users. We will not know until we can get a practical comparison of what the two systems actually deliver.
A large question mark now hangs over the entire future direction the NBN will take !
Many of the original underground ducting and junction pits go back to the days when the Australian phone system was owned by the Postmaster General's Department, and that was a time when new homes were usually constructed with a high asbestos content. The telephone system has undergone several name changes since then, and now Telstra is the owner responsible for bringing the system up to standard and ready to receive the NBN connection.
Any remedial work involving asbestos requires the workers to wear protective gear and the surrounding area must be free of asbestos fibre contamination. It will probably need a tent like cover to prevent wind gusts scattering fibres - and now the genie is out of the bottle - how this is being done will be under intense scrutiny by not only the media but also the trade union movement.
The unions are already demanding that Telstra set up a James Hardie style compensation fund with a hundred million dollar bankroll to compensate any worker or householder who contracts an asbestos related disease from exposure to the work being done.
The frightening aspect is the huge number of junction pits scattered across Australia and the time delay that dealing with them safely will involve. The NBN is already way over budget and far beyond the original time estimates. This latest crisis is happening just weeks away from a Federal election and will lend credence to the suggestion that simply using " to the node " technology will save time delay by removing the need to do this upgrade work and carry the NBN to homes by using the existing copper wire system.
That would certainly give customers NBN access on a faster time frame, and delivering a direct connection could then progress on a " when required " basis, which is yet to be determined. Some people believe that only a select business segment needs super fast broadband and something far faster than the present offering would suit the needs of most users. We will not know until we can get a practical comparison of what the two systems actually deliver.
A large question mark now hangs over the entire future direction the NBN will take !
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