Are class sizes too big these days?
Primary, secondary and kindergarten teachers are striking this week as they look for a pay offer that meets inflation at 7.2% and makes concessions around staffing issues - in particular, student to teacher ratios.
A ratio of 1 teacher for 23 students applies for year 11 students, however support staff can be counted as teachers so the reality is that class sizes can be much higher.
What do you think are the ideal sizes for classrooms?
Type NFP alongside your comments if you don't wish these to be shared in the We Say You Say column of the local paper.
Poll: Is the increase in disability parking fines fair?
In October, the fine for parking in a designated mobility car park without a permit has jumped from $150 to $750—a 400% increase!
The goal is to keep these spaces open for those who truly need them. Do you think this big increase in the fine is fair? Share your thoughts below.
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89.3% Yes, it's fair
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9.9% No, it's unreasonable
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0.8% Other - I'll share below
Smoke in Mt Wellington
Smoke has been seen coming from the crater of the Auckland maunga Mt Wellington.
Images of the smoke began appearing on social media on Friday afternoon.
Around 1.45pm, Fire and Emergency (Fenz) shift manager Josh Pennefather told the NZ Herald a crew was fighting a fire of about 60 square metres in size.
”It’s spreading up hill … [but] there’s no property at risk at this stage,” Pennefather said.
Six fire trucks were in attendance working to contain a grass fire that's spreading up the maunga.
A helicopter was on its way to assist firefighting efforts, he added.
At 2pm, Pennefather shared that the fire was contained and they were working to extinguish it, including “keeping an eye on a whole bunch of hot spots“.
Just dough it
With three basic ingredients and a bit of creativity, you can give old containers new life with Resene testpots.
Find out how to create your own with these easy step by step instructions.