I bet the Government is regretting its $2.8 billion fees-free promise right about now. And if it’s not, it should be. Last Friday, secondary school teachers and principals rejected the Government’s second pay offer, and voted to strike in term one. While the strike may still be averted, it’s not looking good, with the Government Read more
Being a teacher goes beyond just imparting knowledge. It’s a vocation. Teachers complement parents in the formation of children as human beings and, because of this, the best teachers are always remembered. Helen Keller maintained a friendship with her teacher Anne Sullivan for over 40 years and even was present at her death. The reason? Read more
The archbishop of Suva, Peter Chong, has called on Catholic teachers to be creative in their teaching skills so students can enjoy learning. He said one of the effective ways to teach children today was to make use of visual media. “That is the culture we are living today. The children of today are ‘screen Read more
Religion classes in Belgium’s French-speaking schools will be cut in half, starting in October. The classes will be replaced with a weekly hour of “citizenship classes”. Critics worry that the new classes will promote abortion and homosexuality, the Catholic News Agency reported. There are also fears that the changes could end up pushing teachers with Read more
Cardinal John Dew of Wellington has told Catholic educators that a major challenge today is helping families to pray together. In a homily at a teachers’ commissioning Mass at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart last month, Cardinal Dew said “prayer must be learned and discovered in families”. “I believe one of our major challenges Read more
A Conservative UK MP has said anti-terror laws should be applied to those who teach that same-sex marriage is wrong. Mark Spencer has promoted the use of Extreme Disruption Orders (EDOs) to prevent teachers disseminating the idea that marriage should only be between a man and a woman. EDOs are a new anti-hate-speech measure introduced Read more
A keynote speaker at June’s New Zealand Catholic Education Convention has slammed Britain’s shadow education secretary for a jibe about nuns as teachers. Sr Gemma Simmonds, CJ, told the Tablet that Labour’s Tristam Hunt had shown “breathtaking ignorance and bigotry”. His jibe came on the BBC’s Question Time programme last month, when the topic under Read more
Teachers at St Joseph’s College in Apia will benefit after the Marist Old Pupil’s Association presented a cheque for NZD$16,100 to the college. The president of the association, Peseta Kasiano Ioane, said the cheque, presented earlier this month, is to help out with teachers’ pay. “We received a request from the school that they needed Read more
A state in Brazil is under fire for requiring prospective female teachers to have gynaecological exams or prove their virginity in order to work. Sao Paulo state’s education department requires the women to have a pap smear to show they are free of cancers or produce a doctor’s statement that they have not been sexually Read more
Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze spoke to a group of catechists in Sri Lanka, reminding them of the importance of their role in teaching the faith and encouraging them to read the catechism. “The Catechism of the Catholic Church is an important book…reading it would improve your knowledge,” he told the group on July 22. The Read more