Outlook for children

Press, 9 November 1984, Page 12

Outlook for children

Sir, — Mr Lange says something must be done for the children

of New Zealand. He is concerned for those children leaving school having been labelled failures by the very system supposed to serve them. Our son, had he stayed in the State system, would have been one of those children. We are fighting to have the problems of these children recognised by the Education Department and the Government. A large number of these labelled “failures” are learning — disabled children who cannot learn by methods used in State schools.. They are very bright but need different teaching methods to cater for their disabilities. The Education Department does not recognise the problems these children have, and continues with inappropriate teaching. Consequently they are labelled “failures” and often become delinquent. If this Government is interested in halting the number of these “failures,” they will institute appropriate teaching methods in our schools. — Yours, etc., H. J. MACKEY. November 7, 1984. - . Sir,—Mr Lange voiced his concern at the alienation of today’s children in a difficult world (“The Press,” November 7). Of course this is a complex problem, and I am not going to offer a simple solution to the whole question, but I think youngsters find it hard to grapple with scholastic work because of the

difficulty of learning to read English. If they cannot learn to read they are handicapped from the start, since we live in a literate society. It is time written English was simplified so that children can learn it more easily. They have to cope with television, radio, video, records and newspapers as well as glue sniffing and drugs, and it is all too much for them to handle. No wonder they give it all away and just goof off—Yours, etc., ’ TED HICKS. November 7, 1984.