Fixer Fixed

One of the hallmarks of a corrupt government is its capacity to privatise and sell (or simply allocate) public property and services to cronies.

There is a proud history of these shenanigans in Queensland.

The current administration is moving, quite rapidly, in the same direction. The selling-off of nursing homes is a prime example.

Unfortunately, when this happens, the individuals supported by these services become collateral damage.

This has been turned into a fine art in Pennsylvania, in the USA, by an ex-judge, who put simply, sold juvenile offenders to privately run prisons.

Sounds a bit far-fetched? Well no, he’s been convicted on 12 counts, and put away for 30 years.

I wonder if the prison is privately run. It would be a delicious piece of irony if it was. The market rules, after all.

Couldn’t happen here?

I wouldn’t bet on it – something pretty similar happened not so long ago and the Newman government is doing its level best to neuter the CMC..

Equality Vs Justice

I never cease to be amazed at the lack of understanding of this basic Australian principle.

H/T Sharon.

Unintended Consequences

As I've been in schools this week I've had to work around NAPLAN testing.

This is a minor pain in the butt, and fairly easily managed, but there are other aspects of the process that I find disquieting.

The atmosphere in schools during the week of testing is, to say the least, toxic.

It reminds me of the days when school inspectors ruled and teachers, principals and students quaked in their presence.

This atmosphere is indicative of the collateral damage caused by the all size fits all big stick approach that accompanies political interference in the education process.

Schools resemble families more than they do factories.

Until the pollies understand this, their interventions, even if well-intentioned, will always produce unintended consequences, including the commercial cashing in exemplified in the pic.

A Reading of History

This is one of those images that speaks louder than words.

It pretty neatly summarises the view of some in this country who are uncomfortable with our history.

It was posted on Facebook by a family member, but I don't know where he found it.

Rock Crushers and the NDIS

This is the Catholic Leader's read on the NDIS.

They've got it right.

Some extracts -

"Whatever view individuals may take on the Federal Government's decision to part-fund the scheme through a public tax, we must not forget the very important fact that the NDIS - once implemented - will be life-changing for those living with a disability ...," he said.

"He" is  Executive Director of Centacare Australia, Peter Selwood.

And -

 "While understandable that many people are reluctant to pay what they see as 'yet another' government tax hike, the resulting impact this could have on the life of someone living with a disability makes it seem a relatively small price to pay."

The LNP government in Queensland signed up at the end of last week.

This initiative is the most significant development I've seen in this field since I started working in it in 1971.

 

Lunatics and Asylum

Two news reports from the USA make compelling reading, when put together.

Put simply, a five year old boy killed his little sister with a weapon marketed to parents as a suitable gun for children, and the US senate defeated gun control legislation supported by the bulk of American citizens.

These two events are almost incomprehensible to rational human beings, but both are reality.

The NRA is fond of saying that the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.

I wonder which of these (good guy and bad guy) describes the little boy and his sister.

The USA’s own version of the Taliban is celebrating. There is an uncanny resemblance between the videos released after a Taliban assassination and the chest beating emanating from the Houston convention.

It’s happened - the lunatics have finally taken over the asylum.

Thoughts on Bullying

This week the topic of bullying seemed to come up in most of the schools I worked in.

The notable exception was a small (eight kids) school in the middle of nowhere.

One comment made me think about gender balance in schools.

The comment (from a female principal) – “It always happens in the boys’ toilets”. She was talking about boy on boy bullying – most of it physical, of the push and shove type.

My memories of the principalship are that one of the best strategies to cut down the intensity, duration and frequency of these incidents is through close supervision, especially in the playground, and especially around the toilets, or in places teachers usually avoid. I developed a bit of a reputation when I was on duty for patrolling these places (usually invisible from the admin block) to the point where at one high school my nickname was “Ninja”.

It used to work, but of course back then, there were male teachers available to supervise the boys’ toilets and other hidden areas. It’s a big ask for female teachers to supervise boys’ toilets, especially in secondary schools. It simply doesn’t happen.

So one major barrier to controlling bullying is a chronic lack of male teachers. I work in many schools were there are simply no males. Even the cleaners and Janitors are female.

Put simply, this is a problem.

Efforts to allow some kind of affirmative action strategy to normalise the gender balance are generally frowned upon.

That’s a shame.

Until gender balance, a critical element of school culture is considered, efforts to eliminate the problem have not been serious.