there are far too many teachers and professionals who lack empathy when it comes to dealing with colleagues, clients, and those with whom they are associating. There is no room for dispassionate highhandedness when dealing with people. Education is all about humanity and developing others. There should never be putdowns, sarcasm, and other manifestations of behaviour by those in charge which will cause discomfort and squirming on the part of those with whom they are dealing. It is fine to point out things that might be done differently and better but this needs to be done Humanistically and in a way that encourages the person being developed to make the effort. Putdowns are turnoffs and we don’t need that in our professions.

Remember the importance in the practice of empathy and always unto others as you would have them to do unto you.

In a few short weeks, our year 3,5,7 and 9 students will be sitting their 2022 NAPLAN tests. May principals and teachers keep tests in perspective, remembering they are not the ‘be and end all’ of education, although often regarded that way. What needs to be avoided are students becoming so exhausted by pre testing, they fail do do justice to this year’s tests on designated testing days

But NOT firm against his systematic and calculated destruction of Ukraine and the genocide of its people.

‘The world stands firm against Putin’ is an editorial heading in today’s ‘Australian’ (29/4).

The world watches while Putin plays merry hell.

ALL HAIL THE LEADER

Putin rules with iron rod,

All Russians grumble,

Putin will prevail,

Resistance will tumble.

There is only one answer,

And it never will be,

In essence all Russians,

To Putin bend knee.

Protests are all show,

Nothing they mean,

Kowtowing they kiss,

The road where he’s been,

They simper and crawl,

To buy life and space,

And fail always to see,

The disdain on his face.

Putin says ‘jump’,

People acquiesce, their heads nod,

In Russia Putin’s not human,

In Russia, he’s god.

Natasha Bita and Tim Dodd’s column ‘Maths numbers plunge to new low’ 27/4) points to an absolute despair confronting Australian education. For far too long, education has been subjected to a diminution and dumbing down of standards and expectations. With less than 10% of year 12 students opting to study the highest level of mathematics, we seem to be sinking to ‘alarming new lows’ (as started by Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute director Tim Marchant) in our ambition for students.

What should and shouldn’t be included within the domain of curriculum priorities involves never-ending conversation between education ministers, education department heads, business and industry representatives, professional groups, school councils, teachers unions, subject specialists and others. Juxtapositionally, ambition for a better tranche of graduates, multi-skilled in areas necessary for manufacturing, industrial, commercial and environmental enhancement, does not seem to be forthcoming. There is an abundance of talk about what we need to do, in order to enhance the educational standards of students. However, there seems to be a lack of will on the part of authorities to translate these ambitions into action outcomes.

Without change, there is a real danger that the term ‘dumb and dumber’ might take root when describing the accomplishments of far too many students.

Jamie Walker’s column (Age taking heroes WW11 foes could not “The Australian” 25/4) resonated and brought back memories of an outstanding Territorian and Australian in Austin Asche. He and his wife Dr Valerie Ashe (dec.)were frontier Territorians and outstanding contributors to the development of NT ethos. Both as our Chief Justice (known for his humanity and fairness when administering the law) and later as NT Administrator, Mr Asche served with distinction. Dr Asche, was for 20 years the Patron of NT Variety, a major fundraising organisation supporting those in need. She was also a medical doctor who served her profession with distinction/

While Administrator, His Honour Austin Asche and Dr Asche made it their business to visit frequently and widely around the Territory, supporting communities and schools. They modelled citizenship, were always interested in people and were appreciated by all Territorians.

The NT has been well blessed and well served by the contribution of this wonderful couple.

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Your excellent coverage of issues, politicans and people (with their wants and needs) leading toward the upcoming election is without parallel. No careful reader of ‘The Australian’ could be in any doubt about those critically important matters leading us toward May 21.

I have been a voter in federal elections since the 1960’s. Back then, one hardly knew there was an election in the wind. Information was quite scant and the news feed, by the time it was released, was up to several days old. Information technology now ensures , we have feedback on key issues as they unfold. People can no longer claim lack of awareness as an excuse for not understanding what is happening.

It also seems that the day after an election result is declared, politicans, political parties and political aspirants are already preparing for the next poll approximately three years into the future. Are we therefore, always in election mode?

UNIVERSITIES love to trot out the honorary doctorates and sing the praises of notary publics through conferral of unearned qualifications. All this to gain quedos for the university.

All this while the regular PhD students pay tens of thousands of dollars and devote many, many hundreds of hours to study, often under conditions of economic duress and financial hardship to earn their degrees. Do they get the same recognition? Not for a minute!!

Honorary degrees should be abolished?

HONORARY DEGREES SHOULD BE ABOLISHED!!

Becoming sick or dealing with sickness in Darwin particularly during the weekend is absolutely horrendous.

Come Friday afternoon and everything basically shuts down and you don’t have anywhere to go. The only available place is the Royal Darwin Hospital Emergency Department and that is a challenge in itself.

If you are entitled to private hospital care and have the right insurance to cover costs – forget it, for any approval to go there has to come from the RDH ED. They are reluctant, VERY RELUCTANT, to pass you over to the private hospital.

Being sick in Darwin outside of normal weekday working hours is like confronting a vacuum with very few solutions. Weekends become endless and quite horrific. What helps is if you know a couple of people in the medical profession and if you are able to contact them after hours. (In our case we were incredibly helped by a medical professional we were able to contact.)

People who do not know anyone they can contact in emergency circumstances confront huge problems. Not being able to access the Darwin Private Hospital for admission of treatment without going through the RDH ED is a real problem. It’s not helped either by the seeming reluctance of ED to contact the DPH for patient transfer purposes. In my experience that has been the case (several times) despite requests for this to happen.

A further problem is that some surgeries advertise home doctors will come to visit for fees outside the regular structure. That is not the case; while the service is used to exist it is now are extinct. Yet the advertisements for this service continue to be announced on websites or by phone message.

I believe the only service that might be available after hours is Golden Glow nursing. Nothing else is available.

How sad and ironic it is that “bosses (are pleading) for relief to fill skills gap” (Australian 19/4). It is sad because the advance of Australia in so many retail, hospitality, commercial and manufacturing sectors are in ‘slo mo’ when it comes to moving forward, for want of skilled personnel. In a burgeoning number of cases and especially in remote areas, any body at all would do because workers are in such shores supply.

The situation is ironic because in past times educators and those in decision making positions, have chosen to minimise the value of the TAFE/VET sector, thereby discounting the value of blue collar skills. This has included an undermining and devaluing of apprenticeship programs. Only now, is Australia becoming aware of the need for critical skills that will not come from those qualifying locally for some years to come.

Years ago, Australia threw this training out the door, deciding that the only option was for people to go to university and study for full degrees. May authorities learn from the mistakes made, reinstate full for apprenticeship and occupational training, and never again discount the need to prepare Australians for work readiness.

Depression is cruel and insidious, invasive and hugely drawing down on people’s feelings of confidence and self worth. Its lacerations affect both body and mind. It can grip like a cancer and thrives because those afflicted feel the shame of leprosy creeping upon them and into their psyche. We have not yet come to discuss mental health issues openly and with confidence. This causes depression to prevail and dominate the shame side of human nature. We must overcome this barrier if depression is to be tackled with honest candour.

There was a time when shopping assistance were vibrant, active toward meeting customer needs and inquiries, and friendly in their disposition. It seems that in all too many instances that attention to customers and that enthusiasm assistants had for their positions, so obvious through their manner, has disappeared. It seems that work for many, both young and old, is a grudge. Customers are made to think that they “owe” those who should be there to support them.

Disinterest in shopper needs is more and more a negative attribute that is in evidence. It seems that these days those employed to serve customers, feel that somehow the customer owes them for being there and working.

Often shoppers are left to try and sort through things they need with no “can I help you” inquiry coming their way. Staff prefer to stand back, go into hiding, socialise or get lost on their mobile phones.

Going shopping? Good luck.

Big time educational promises are being made ahead of the upcoming federal election. We are all wanted, embraced and cosseted by those seeking election. It is what happens beyond the polling day that really counts. Will the wanted ones still be the wanted ones or will they become the forgotten ones?

Only time will tell, but beyond the election, don’t count on those promises amounting to tangible outcomes.

No one can doubt for a minute the serious earnestness of all those connected with our Australian parliament, be they seeking election or re-election. All the best and thank you to those retiring from their years in the federal parliament.

My hat is off to Warren Snowden, the retiring member in the lower house for Lingiari NT. This humble man has been a brilliant servant for all those in his vast and far flung electorate. A man of enormous energy, Snowden has been an indefatigable representative for those in his electorate for many decades. This man with a huge heart and a spirit embracing all people will be sorely missed from our Australian parliament.

I have been reflecting on missionaries in two places we located in during the 1970’s. My memories are not happy.

In one place if you were not a missionary, forget medical care and support in times of illness. If you were not an aboriginal person, you got nothing and if you were sick and needed medical attention, it was ‘shankses pony’. The flying doctor was not for you. This happened for us in this particular location on several occasions.

In another place I became ill with hepatitis. The LAST persons I could count on were the mission nurses. Seemingly I had brought my illness on myself.

Missionaries were very good at leaving those who were more secularly oriented in isolation ABC without support within these communities.

Of course the 13 year old girl who slapped an assaulted her school principal, knew she was assaulting that person (Sunday Territorian 10/4). For ANY court to determine she did not understand what she was doing and that she should be excused, is a crass denial of common sense and a significant miscarriage of justice.

Get real -this wallop on her Principal was not the act of a baby but the contrived action of a teenager knowing FULL WELL what she was doing.

As a person connected with our local university over many years and as an alumni, I now look forward to Fridays like never before.

In historical terms those in key positions at the University often tend to be remote and not available in any way, shape or form to those associated with the university at a lower level.

The new vice chancellor, Scott Bowman, has changed all that. He writes a weekly piece titled “ Friday musings“. In it he shares with everyone important news coming from our university. Here we have a Vice-Chancellor keeping in touch with everybody connected with the university and that is wonderful.He writes a weekly piece titled “ Friday musings“. In it he shares with everyone important news coming from our university. Here we have a Vice-Chancellor keeping in touch with everybody connected with the university and that is wonderful.He writes a weekly piece titled “ Friday musings“. In it he shares with everyone important news coming from our university. Here we have a Vice-Chancellor keeping in touch with everybody connected with the university and that is wonderful.He writes a weekly piece titled “ Friday musings“. In it he shares with everyone important news coming from our university. Here we have a Vice-Chancellor keeping in touch with everybody connected with the university and that is wonderful.

It is just so good to be kept in the loop and to know what is going on at the University. That news is updated every Friday, so it is no wonder that I now look forward to Friday’s like never before.

How I wishother leaders of both departments and industry would take a leaf from the Bowman example.

Natasha Bita’s column (‘Back to basics in schools rethink’, Weekend Australian, 2&3/4) filled my heart with joy. Finally, after years of wandering along an unclear and hazy curriculum track, sense and sensibility are to be restored to learning pathways. The news that “phonics, times tables and Australian history lessons will be mandatory … to ensure students master the basics.” (op.cit.) is a win for classroom teachers who for years have struggled with an increasingly cluttered and often irrelevant curriculum.

If the changes include less accountability for accountabilities sake, with student success measured by their mastery of basic learning skills, the transformation will be complete.

Education ministers have responded to the pleas of classroom teachers for change and refocus with this ‘return to the old’ curriculum. Key elements of the changes to be introduced to schools in 2023, are reminiscent learning content during my years as a student in the 1950’s and 1960’s. The changes align with the required focus of teachers in training during the 1970’s and early 1980’s. The curriculum drift since then has been alarming for classroom practitioners and largely disaffecting of teaching focus.

After decades of departure from the important essences of teaching and learning, education ministers are to be applauded for seeing the light.

The news that Colin Wicking, the NT News/Sunday Territorian cartoonist for the past forty years, is farewelling the job he has done so brilliantly for so long, filled me with sadness and nostalgia.

Wicking’s perspective on the Territory and those within has long taken us ‘behind the curtain of pretence and facade’. Through his simple yet telling illustrations, he has characterised the territory, warts and all, to readers of our papers.

Many who peruse the print and online editions of our papers will attest to Wicking’s view being one of the first, best and most sought after check of the pages each morning.

A black-and-white specialist, Wicking only drew two cartoons which included colour. The first commemorated the rainbow crossing at the Smith and Knucky Street junction in the CBD. The second depicted Michael Gunner sitting behind his purpled ‘Boundless Possible’ desk.

There are several of Colin Wicking’s cartoons which will live long in my memory – standouts for me among his vast collection of offerings. One is the recent depiction of our Chief Minister (March 25) sitting and listening to the dogs barking the name of ‘Rolfe’ into the night air.

It is a blessing to our Territory that Wicking has gifted thousands if his works to the NT Libraries and Archives. There they will reside permanently, to be a source of historical remembrance of the events and deeds depicted. As people look through his collection, they need to understand that Wicking’s work portrays the real territory that existed at the time each cartoon was drawn.

Whoever takes over as cartoonist for our local papers will have big shoes to fill.

Thanks Colin, for your rendering of our history through your eyes. Your work has been crafted with honest interpretation and transparency. The legacy you leave in retiring from cartooning our territory will be everlasting.

CHILDREN NEED CONFIDENCE AND REASSURANCE

A prime focus of education is planning towards meeting the future needs of children. Preparing children and young people to become tomorrow’s adults and leaders is a key educational commission. This should be a shared responsibility involving parents on the home front and teachers in our schools. Taking advantage of learning opportunities is also a responsibility resting on the shoulders of students. Parents and teachers offer development and educational opportunities for children but cannot do the learning for them.

In a world of educational pressures and global confusion, it is important to be careful and responsible in planning learning opportunities. Part of this is to offer a stable and understandable environment. The opportunity to ‘grow through play’ and the way in which children learn to understand the wider world are both important.

Play

The importance of play and social interaction children have with each other is sometimes discounted. Abundant research confirms that children learn about the world through play. This along with other stimuli supports their social, emotional and moral/spiritual growth. Young people can be and often are exposed to the pressures of academics too early in life. Making haste slowly and ensuring these other elements are taken into account, supports the stable development of young people. Pressuring children academically might produce ‘high fliers’. However, confidence and maturity come from socialising and play, without which children can be left in isolation. Playing together is one way children begin to understand one another and the world into which they are growing.

Unease

In these troubled times children’s self confidence needs to be supported by parents and teachers. Distressing events, particularly terrorist attacks, climatic catastrophes and other disasters have an unsettling effect on everyone. This is particularly the case for children who can and do become distressed by such events. Trying to shield young people from these events or attempting to brush them off, will only heighten their anxieties. Awareness of terrifying events creates distress which “… may be shown in all sorts of ways. This can include aches and pains, sleeplessness, nightmares, bed wetting, becoming … snappy or withdrawn or not wanting to be separated from their parents.” (Parry and Oldfield, ‘How to talk to children about terrorism’ The Conversation, 27/5/17)

Children need the confidence and understanding that grows from play and they need reassurance about the good things in a world into which they are growing. It’s up to adults to see that both these needs are met.

The ramifications for publishers of Facebook and other online pages (‘Facebook ruling a legal minefield’, The Australian 9/9/2021) may not be all bad. The High Court ruling that publishers of sites attached to their platforms are responsible for published content could be managed quite simply. All that might be required during is for organisations to designate a moderator or moderating staff who expunge comments that are defamatory or licentious in nature.

Individuals who have Facebook pages should also accept moderating responsibility. Facebook and other sites already allow page owners to bar persons whose comments are unacceptable. It would be easy for platform providers to cancel the publishing rights of those deemed to be inappropriate users – as happened with Donald Trump.

Media groups are already halfway there. If I write a comment and attach it to story in one of the Newscorp papers, it is accepted under the heading ‘pending’ (publication) and not attached to the correspondence thread unless it is acceptable.

Moderation is already being practised by media on some of its platforms. The High Court ruling simply extends the principle of publishing accountability to include responsibility for entries published on sites under its masthead.