Fame was unexpected

Press, 27 July 1989, Page 11

Fame was unexpected

One of the panelists on “Ten out of Ten” (Thursday afternoons on Two), has been stunned at his newly created celebrity status since appearing on television. Tom Parsons is a science and maths teacher at Kaipara College in Helensville and is one of the seven panelists on the phone-in, home-work-advice programme.

“I am amazed at the impact that TV seems to have on people. I have even been recognised by a check-in man at the airport and have been stopped in the supermarket by people waiting to comment on the programme,” says Parsons. Tom Parsons recently emigrated to New Zealand from California. He made the move because he felt it was a safer

place to settle, and he liked the Government’s nuclear-free policy. He is a dedicated promoter of science and auditioned for “Ten out of Ten” because he loves communicating with people and feels he has a deep and wide knowledge of science that he can contribute to the programme. “Science is the frontier of our times and in this century it’s the place to be.”

So far he has enjoyed the new experience of appearing on television and hopes that he is also accomplishing something. “It actually seems to be the older people and older students who have been learning things from the programme. Younger kids seem to have a less positive attitude about

learning and are more interested in the entertainment aspect.” He says his fourth-form students have moaned to him about the length of some of the panelists’ explanations, but his seventh formers have appreciated the wider scope of the answers.

“At least it is a good alternative to cartoons and soap operas and TV as a medium makes all the difference when trying to get across a point. I now have kids quoting my answers back at me when before they have never taken any notice of me,” he says. “Television is more real than real life, especially to many kids, and once you get their attention there, you have a great degree of authority.”