THE 'NEW EDUCATION' IN NEW ZEALAND

Mr. Eric Butler reports from New Zealand
In a recent letter to the Concerned Parents' Association of New Zealand, Dr. Rhoda Lorand, the well-known American psychologist, author of "Love, Sex and the Teenager", writes: "You (in New Zealand) are only a little behind us in instituting these sick programmes, which at long last, are finally under investigation by the Federal Government of the United States as a result of parental protests to their elected representatives. The outline of the N.Z. programme, which you have sent me, is nothing more than a skeleton outline of the typical SIECUS programme, and the teacher always has the freedom to do whatever she feels impelled to with the subject matter. There is simply no way of controlling what a teacher will say when presenting these materials, because there is no way of controlling her reactions to the sexual material in advance. Often those who are the most eager to teach the courses are the least qualified psychologically."

Those who have studied the SIECUS "educational" programme in the United States are well aware of its Marxist background. Prime Minister Muldoon presents a strong image when he says that he is going to stand up to Communism in the Trade Unions. But he looks weak when he comes up against the pressures of International Communism exerted through the "United Nations." And as yet he and his colleagues are showing little stomach for tackling the most insidious aspect of the Marxist assault, through the New Zealand educational system.

Aided by their fellow travellers, the liberal humanists, the Marxists have, naturally enough, long concentrated upon education. What now passes for education has been described by Malcolm Muggeridge as the "great mumbo jumbo and fraud of the age" "is prescribed as a universal remedy for everything, from juvenile delinquency to premature senility. For the most part, it only serves to enlarge stupidity, inflate conceit, enhance credulity and put those subjected to it, at the mercy of brainwashers with printing presses, radio and television at their disposal."

New Zealand businessmen, like Australian businessmen, are increasingly complaining that large numbers of the products of the "new education" have difficulty in reading and writing. But perhaps this no longer matters with "teley" the new God, one from which all knowledge now reaches those who worship at it both day and night! All one has to do is sit passively and look.

The question of whether real education can be divorced from moral and spiritual values was raised at a Royal Commission on Contraception. A representative of the Concerned Parents' Association put the following question to Mr. W. Renwick, Director General of New Zealand education: "Is the Department prepared to uphold the traditional view that sex should be an exclusively heterosexual activity confined within the marriage bond, and to direct that instruction on sexual behaviour should only be in the context of promoting chastity and self-control?"

Mr. Renwick replied that his Department had "no view" on such matters. Their job was to "interpret as best we may what the New Zealand public would wish its State schools to teach." But it is not the task of teachers to "interpret" public wishes, but for the elected representatives of the public to instruct the Education Department. The overwhelming majority of New Zealand parents, like all normal parents everywhere, do not want their children subject to the influence of homosexuals in the schools. But a representative of the New Zealand Education Department, a Mr. M.R. Tunnicliffe, is not prepared to give an assurance that homosexuals would not be allowed to conduct human sexuality and relationship courses.

The most effective answer to the growing controversy concerning education is to ensure that parents have effective control over the spending of their own money on the type of schools and education they desire for their children. It is a State monopoly of education, which has permitted the subversives to make the dangerous progress they have in influencing the minds of the immature. It is refreshing to find the New Zealand Concerned Parents' Association attacking the core of the problem. But how much support will they get from an "anti-Communist Government"?

MR. LYNCH BRAKES AT THE GREEN LIGHT

"Australia must be unique. Despite mediocre economic growth, high unemployment, and a falling inflation rate, the Government has been forced to tighten monetary policy which will act to prolong the recession." - Mr. Kenneth Davidson, in "The Age" (Melbourne) Nov. 8th, 1976.

Need we say more? Inflation is running around 13%, and will show a jump when the Medibank, and other, factors reveal themselves in the C.P.I. Index at the end of the December quarter. Unemployment will also jump when over one hundred thousand school leavers spill on to the labour market after Christmas. Yet, the Treasury (with Mr. Lynch acting as the ventriloquist's dummy) decides that NOW is the time to further curtail spending. Believe it or not the trouble is excess liquidity - again!

Mr. Davidson continues: "To soak up the huge liquidity buildup sloshing around in the economy, the Government must encourage investors to buy Government paper (that is bonds, securities, Treasury Notes etc....On Target) and force the banks to lend less even though investment funds will become scarcer and more expensive."

We can be sure of one thing: there is no excess liquidity sloshing around in the pockets of the man in the street, and especially the man on the land Where is it then? Well, the large industrial concerns have it; the insurance companies, the merchant banks, etc. As inflation worsens, and smaller organizations in commerce and industry are forced to the wall, their necks wrung by inflated costs in their respective spheres of operation, the "survivors" become gradually larger. They, in turn, gobble up the smaller concerns, which have been squeezed out of business, and become the "credit worthy" borrowers of whom Vincent Vickers speaks in "Economic Tribulation".

The upshot of all this is obvious - there will be even tighter money for the smaller business concerns. Simultaneously, the politicians, most of whom have never run even a corner store, are urging the business community to have greater confidence, and the man in the street to get out there and SPEND. Do the politicians know what they are doing? No way!

BRIEF COMMENTS

The old centralist, John Gorton, is at it again. He has recently been lecturing at the University of Queensland in its Department of Government. He was on his favorite hobbyhorse: centralism He attacked certain newspapers for beating the States' Rights drum: by implication he praised the 1942 cession of taxation powers by the States to the Commonwealth. In fact, it was at this very point that the possible knell of the States was first tolled. Mr. Gorton wants uniform education (he was Minister for Education at one stage) and a general health standard. We must all rigidly conform to the standards of Big Brother. He took a swipe at the Queensland Premier, Mr. J. Bjelke-Petersen. He said he was pleased to be out of the political spotlight; but I don't think he is as pleased as we are!

The State Savings Bank of Victoria hasn't caught the spirit of optimism which Mr. Lynch, the Federal Treasurer, says is abroad in the land. Oddly, we haven't noticed it either. But significantly, the Bank calls for an immediate out in Sales Tax; and so do we. The Bank says that there is no growth at all in retail sales, and the economy is "evenly pitched". This is a new phrase on us - we are continually filled with admiration at the ability of economists to come up with exciting new expressions to describe the state of the economy. "Evenly pitched" means "uncertain whether to go up or down". How about that?! Notice the inference that it (the economy) is really quite independent of control by man. We presume that we are to believe that noble and valiant economists are struggling with the economy, still much of a mystery, to bring it under some sort of control. "Wrestling inflation to the ground" was an expression used recently. This is a little advance on the economist of the Depression years who attributed financial depressions to sunspot activity! Yes, he was a grown man; and he was an economist; he really lived.

We were interested to peruse the October 1976, issue of "Interface"; an advertising industry news sheet put out by the Australian Association of National Advertisers. It quotes the Chief Executive of Cadbury-Schweppes who was speaking about Company costs - not that we learned anything we didn't already know - he just confirmed what we knew.
Direct labour costs in production amount to approximately 20% of the total and this is general throughout industry, with some small variations according to the type. In the confectionary industry mentioned above raw materials accounted for 25% of costs, packaging 20%, merchandising and distribution 15%, advertising 5%, administration 7% (not all attributable to labour by any means. e.g. office equipment, computers, adding machines, typewriters, etc. etc.) Now for the punch! Dividends to shareholders, 1.7% of gross sales, with 2% ploughed back into the business.

Employers are complaining about the preparation of young people for their careers again; the dailies are all full of it this week. Preference is being given to older people. Married women are found to be more reliable generally, along with previously retired persons, who are re-emerging into the work force because inflation is gnawing at their pensions and superannuation. It's the same old story; falling educational standards, and sloppy attitudes towards work.

Money merely a claim on goods and services