on the subject of the Maths Assessment standards
 

Quote:Ministers are defending their approach, saying regardless of the figure the children at Year 8 are not where they should be - and the new curriculum the new data is benchmarked against is broadly at the same level as the previous one.
It follows Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Education Minister Erica Stanford's selling their new maths policy at the National Party conference over the weekend, claiming just 22 percent of Year 8 students were at the expected standard for maths.
However, Aotearoa Educators Collective on Monday raised concerns the 22 percent figure was not comparing apples with apples because it was benchmarked against a new curriculum which was not yet being taught to Year 8 children.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/524...ent-labour

The second act of Sam Neill: ÔÇÿThe truth was, I didnÔÇÖt know how long I had to liveÔÇÖ

https://www.theguardian.com/film/article...ad-to-live

Our health system has been allowed to deteriorate over the last 40 odd years, & is in desperate need of fixing. And NOT in a way which ensures healthcare which is so expensive that it shuts out those on low incomes; a health system which everyone is able to access.  The present health system is a disgrace to all the previous govts which have allowed the situation to continue or have actively made it worse.
People in rural communities are now dying at higher rates simply due to where they live. More GP's are likely to close their surgeries because of rising costs & underfunding.

I think its time the system was overhauled; a good start might be to bond newly qualified drs & nurses, have them work in rural areas for say 2-3 years & in return reduce their student loan reasonably substantially.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/5241...octors-say

Well said George

Freedom of information....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6O7gHI5YKA

The Reality Of Ronald Reagan's Legacy.

   

US targets surging grocery prices in latest probe

https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/us-ta...024-08-01/

NASA says it is ÔÇ£evaluating all optionsÔÇØ for the safe return of Starliner crew

I've been following this for two months or so.

Basically the Thrusters have been leaking Helium (the propellant) due to not being tested properly and are now seen as being maybe not up to the task required.

https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/08/ye...ew-dragon/

And here is the comment thread on Reddit to gain more insight into the problems:

https://old.reddit.com/r/space/comments/...s_for_the/

Here's a background article on Starliner:

https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/05/th...ed-at-all/

These are the key changes that brought Boeing down:

"The institutional failures that led to these twin tragedies (the two Boeing 737 Max's that crashed) are well explained in a book by Peter Robison, Flying Blind. Robison covered Boeing as a reporter during its merger with McDonnell Douglas a quarter of a century ago and described how countless trends since thenÔÇöstock buybacks, a focus on profits over research and development, importing leadership from McDonnell Douglas, moving away from engineers in key positions to MBAs, and much more led to Boeing's downfall."

Eight of the recommendations made by the Royal Commission into the terror attack here will now not be progressed by this govt. There will not be a new,separate intelligence agency nor an advisory group on counter terrorism, no system for the public to safely report concerning behaviour or incidents & others will not now go ahead.

Short sighted idiocy, lacking in compassion & uncaring about possible future terrorist attacks & attempting to prevent them.




https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/5239...commission


https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/08/02/govt-...ommission/

Never heard of them - but sounds like they are not having a good day today

Quote:The High Court has put Auckland apartment developer Du Val Capital Partners and other Du Val Group companies into interim receivership after an application from the Financial Markets Authority.
The interim receivership orders were also made in respect of property developers Kenyon Clarke and his wife, Charlotte Clarke.
Police were seen entering the coupleÔÇÖs place of residence in Remuera today.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/fma-...K25NJS5RE/