Teachers’ education

Good on you, Steve Liddle (letters, Dec 1), for raising the topic of the education of our teachers.

I wrote to the same effect to David Lange when he was education minister (as well as prime minister): we need educated teachers. And tried again later in a Review of the Education Faculty at Victoria University. Many countries have a BA or a BSc as the minimum entry requirement to the teaching profession.

Students quickly find whether a teacher knows something (almost any real knowledge is appreciated). An educated teacher can lead students on their voyage of discovery. One not reduced to the ‘‘turn to page 35, and do the exercises (and then look at the answers at the back)’’ style of instruction.

So, Education Minister Chris Hipkins: please help establish the foundation of an educated nation.

Some fraud and white collar crime goes unpunished. However, when they are caught they rarely get a second chance. Straight to jail for the likes of Donna Awatere Huata and Kelly Tonkin.

The deterrent of quick, harsh repercussions for monetary offenders is perhaps why New Zealand is consistently ranked in the top two or three least-corrupt countries.

Maybe if violent and anti-social crimes also had the deterrent of quick, harsh repercussions, our country would be safer to live in.

D Adams, Christchurch [abridged]