Only in Tasmania does January 1 remain as the school start ‘cut off’ date. There’s a variety of dates (30 April, 30 June, 1 May) in the other states. This produces classes with kids with different birth years and different sports age groups. Is this truly beneficial or just confusing?
The old WA and Qld model of starting in the calendar year the kids turned 5 seemed simple and logical. In that old model, finishing the year they turned 17 helped keep alcohol out of schools and moved kids into careers, jobs and life earlier. Has the change to the school age model of ages 5-18, beginning in the first quarter demonstrably improved our national education standard?
Because, having watched as, at least those in the West, have turned away from the principles offered by the Ten Commandments and instead adopted the principles of The Seven Deadly Sins (with great enthusiasm I might add) we seem to be losing our humanity. Social justice is fading away and social depression and hopelessness is its replacement. Why does it matter to me? I guess because I actually care about people and it makes me angry and sad to see us destroying, not just the planet, but ourselves. I guess it’s the “no man is an Island…” and “Do unto others” Once we forget those, what do we become – non humans? Who says “history never repeats” they were nuts !
The ‘against’ arguments just don’t make sense: they don’t want gays to have children? Guess what, we’re doing that anyway. The bible is against it? Sure, and pretty much everything else. It will ruin marriage for straight people? Pretty sure that’s already been done. The ‘for’ argument is simple, equal rights and parties are good for mental health! (Plus we’re all bored of talking about it)
Modern existence is tethered to urban environments, but many aspects of human nature don’t fall in neat urban planned lines; whilst activities and initiatives exist to give life to the city, what would true urban freedom, the capacity to grow uncontrolled or unrestrained mean for health and happiness?
Can you tell us how we, the people, convince the United nations to act as a genuine force for good in the world by bringing together the might of the world’s most powerful nations to rectify, at its source, the trauma these individuals are enduring? Or can you suggest other ways we can act? I’m asking this question out of sheer frustration that we can do nothing more than be compassionate to the world’s victims AFTER the event. People power has achieved results before, so perhaps those caring people can do more now – but how?
People have great ideas all the time- how to help those in need, starting with providing water where there is none, sanitary and hygiene products where they are lacking, food and shelter to those without… but do politicians ever change? We keep electing and fostering a system where the greediest are given the role of decision makers… why is that?
French? Garlic, butter, snails and frogs. Italian? Pasta, cured meats and tomatoes. American? Burgers, gumbo, lobster. Australian…?
How do we define what makes Australian food Australian? Our national dishes – meat pie, pavlova, lamington – are cobbled together from the cuisines of other countries. We’ve got a century or more of food culture under our belt now, but it’s still so hard to define what makes Australian food Australian.