Social problems concern teachers

Press, 30 December 1988, Page 1

Social problems concern teachers

PA Wellington Teachers are under increasing stress from social problems and forced more and more to do the work of parents, says the deputy principal of a Wainuiomata school, Mr Murray Gray. Some teachers were having to toilet-train their pupils, show them how to hold a pencil and scissors, and teach them manners, he told the “Evening Post” in a letter.

Mr Gray was replying to an earlier letter which advocated that parents report on teachers. He listed several ways in which parents made teaching more difficult. These included: @ Inadequate school lunches. @ Frequent absences of children.

@ Lack of interest in home reading. © Providing inadequate clothing. • Going to a Housie evening instead of attending the child’s school concert.

• Allowing children to watch videos — in many cases, violent and-or pornographic — into the small hours.

Mr Gray said he had been teaching for 14 years. He was convinced teaching had become more difficult and stressful.

“It is getting much, much worse.”

These days, teachers did not ask children what time they had gone to bed, but what they had watched on television.

“Children seem to be a lot more restless.” And, he said, teachers were involved in much more social work.

“We talk a lot about molesting and what children should do.” Wainuiomata had a safe-house scheme.

Teachers were also finding they had to teach basic manners,

By

GLEN PERKINSON

Yesterday’s rain may have helped dampen Canterbury’s arid countryside but it did not appear to dampen the spirits of holidaymakers. Campers at the packed South New Brighton Camping Ground seemed to welcome the change. Enjoying the day there were Enid and Ivan Edyvean (above)', both aged 63. They have spent every Christ-

mas holiday for more than 30 years at the camp. The couple leave home before Christmas Day each year to enjoy the festival with friends at the ground. It is not a long journey from home — about 10km. “We are here for nothing but rest,” Mr Edyvean said. During the holidays the two occasionally play bowls but their main objective is to “just come out here to snooze.”

But why not snooze at home? “Because it is the best place to rest,” they said of the camp. “When you work hard all year you need a rest,” Mrs Edyvean said. The couple began holidaying at South Brighton when Mr Edyvean worked for the Railways. “It was handy for me because I used to work on and off during Christmas,” he said.