I WOULD consider a reply to Ashlee Sturme’s (Wellbeing Coach) half-page opinion piece (Beacon, Wednesday, June 5) reply to my letter as warranted.

The Institute of Economic Research’s report on the standards of our primary teachers was a shocking indictment on the state of the primary school sector. It reported that between 2017 and 2022, a quarter of all new primary school teachers who attempted, could not pass at a basic level, the compulsory maths required of a 15-year-old in New Zealand.  

Ms Sturme incorrectly states that I posited that “teachers are ignorant”, in fact, my letter was about primary school teachers who are ignorant of any ability to teach math and science (25 percent). I was perfectly clear in that, it was directed at the “big hole in their ability to teach math and science”.

While Ms Sturme states: “Frankly it doesn’t matter at this point whether our teachers have NCEA math or science.”  

I have to ask, what does that mean?  I can’t even comprehend the intent of that statement; however, I understand fully the implications of it after speaking to a high school teacher recently who doesn’t want to be in education when these kids hit high school.  

So, yes, the trauma is starting to be identified by dedicated teachers at a higher level of education who will suffer the consequences, and so will their wellbeing.  

We don’t live in rabbit holes; we look to the future and hold our responsibilities close to ensure the safety of a future society. It starts now.

Ms Sturme’s statement that wellbeing will be better than qualifications doesn’t measure. I would suggest the two go hand in hand.

Ms Sturme also suggests that as parents we target our energy to the Ministry of Education property department’s building plan if we want to complain about a taxpayer’s return for education.

This is obviously referencing waste under former Minister Grant Robinson’s watch.  

As the writer of a report requested by the Audit Office on the reconstruction of Edgecumbe College after the 1987 earthquake, I found the present situation at Edgecumbe College just another of the many mismanaged debacles we face. (The report assisted the Audit Office with the implementation of the Property Management charter of Tomorrow’s Schools).

I am presently the caregiver of a teenager whose wellbeing is sparkling with anticipation; his outdoors is sport-filled, and he loves maths (a combination that Ms Sturme indicates as incompatible), though he has to get additional math tutoring because in his primary years it was wanting.

The opinion piece appeared as a wellbeing “whatever”, and you are entitled to that. My charge has an interest in engineering, so he is entitled to be taught math at every level of his education. That is basic if we are to succeed into the future.

As New Zealanders in a developed world we are entitled to expect that making excuses just doesn’t cut the mustard, hence The Institute of Economic Research report and why they did it.  

The statement that “(teachers) are working in a broken system that this Minister of Education has no ability to fix” is very telling, the past six years completely broke the system, and Ms Sturme is prepared to call in the new Minister of Education as having “no ability” so soon.

When she has called the very same issue Ms Sturme voices, if the new minister is prepared to work with the sector, surely she deserves the chance for the wellbeing of New Zealand.

Ann Fletcher

Prepare to fight for a vision that betters our children’s learnings

I HAVE to comment on Ashlee Sturme’s opinion piece regarding the state of the primary school sector and I am puzzled by her theory that lacks a wider vision.

She signed herself as an “educator and wellbeing coach”; I cannot align the responsibility of that title with the article she has written.

The basics of the developed world is bedded in a well-educated society forged by a basic understanding of English, maths, science and technology; that is a given.  

Recent data stated that roughly a quarter of new teachers at New Zealand primary school level had failed level 1 maths, with an added portion failing English and science.

Results across the levels and all demographic situations for NCEA are in consistent decline, and why wouldn’t they be if our children are being taught in primary school by inadequately qualified teachers. This basically implies the “baby sitting” notion.

In terms of ethnicity, the most recent university entrance for leavers statistics in New Zealand” had Asian students at 62 percent, European at 42 percent, Pasifika at 21 percent and Maori at 18 percent.  

If that is not shocking to you, it shows how accustomed we have become to that level of failure.  

Ann Fletcher’s letter (Beacon, Wednesday, May 29) is one that is felt by many parents who have had children at primary schools in the past few years, and they have every right to feel aggrieved.

The “closed shop” teachers union will always endeavour to shut the conversation down and, as parents; the stark reality is that this cancels our old perception; “that teachers were special people who were trained to impart worldly knowledge to our children”.

The failed primary school situation opens the debate regarding the viability of chartered schools.

The 2014-2017 data shows that there were many good results documented in Ministry of Education-commissioned studies and independent studies of individual charter schools.  

This asserts that they are a viable option, contrary to the oppositional narrative in New Zealand. (The last Labour Government immediately shut down these charters; there is no doubt the teachers’ unions drove this.)

In the United Kingdom, 54 percent of students attend charters (academies), while many of these new charters have been failing public schools transformed into high-performing ones. Parents deserve the choice.

The Stanford University Credo study in the United States (2023) concluded that – it reversed the narrative and showed that charters have drastically improved, producing better reading and maths scores than traditional public schools.

One thing we should all be prepared to fight for is a vision that betters our children’s learnings and therefore New Zealand’s place in the developed world.  

To acknowledge that our primary education system is unaccountable and broken, it fails drastically to meet the needs of our children and our communities.

Allan Campbell

St John open day

SATURDAY'S St John open day was one of great interest, featuring an array of vehicles that are used for various purposes, from ambulance pick up to patient hospital transfers, rapid response and paramedic plus the Whakatāne health shuttle.

Also, a mass of equipment for major emergencies, tents, stretchers generators etc.

A large participation of front-line staff, volunteers and junior members were there to give knowledgeable information to visitors

Plenty of handouts were available to get to know about St John’s services, such as retail stores, medical alarms, Caring Caller and a great range of first aid kits.

St John also runs first aid and CPR courses for community groups.

The visit was extremely worthwhile and very informative.

We should all support our Hato Hone St John Whakatāne branch.

Jeff and Karen Winterson

Possible to disagree without hating them

I TOOK part in the march protesting the Government’s fast-track legislation on the weekend.  

While walking to join the gathering, with my 11-year-old son beside me, two older white men passed me going the other way.  

One clocked my T-shirt and said, quite loudly, “bunch of f**ng greenies”.  

Have people forgotten that it’s possible to disagree with someone’s opinions without hating them?  

When did it become okay to be so hateful and to say something like that about others, in public, especially in front of their kids?  

Lisa Eve