We must learn to embrace our waste
Far too many usable items are being placed out for hard rubbish. If residents had an address of a warehouse or collection depot we could happily donate useful and reusable items to these needy individuals.
I recently heard of a family who have survived on one pot and one spoon for a year! Unfortunately, because of health restrictions, op shops cannot take certain items, which is frustrating.
Helping Hand has managed large crowds at its giveaway days — a set-up whereby they handle everything or allow residents to set up something similar to a garage sale (with no money exchanged) would allow people to exchange items and save useful items going into landfill.
We must reduce, reuse, recycle and repair items so that they give comfort and hope to those who need them but can’t afford simple things. A set-up like this may even provide jobs or training for those in skill training courses.
Cybil (via web)
Re: Springvale special school gets state-of-the-art campus
Many of our kids are being left to fend for themselves in a mainstream setting due to the change in criteria. Our children are being set up to fail as the mainstream schools are not well equipped nor have the tools, staff and knowledge to cope with the influx of children with autism spectrum disorder entering their schools. I’ve had teachers tell me not to recommend a school to prospective ASD parents because they have enough ASD kids already. Please help our children.
El (via web)
I have a child with autism in a state school in grade 6 and who has no funding for an aide. He can’t write out his alphabet, he comprehends what he has read at a grade 3 level and is expected to go to high school next year. Last year his teacher did a total of six hours’ training, which is nothing. The money spent on inadequate training would be better spent on one-on help in the classroom. As for the school working with the family, this is not true. I have been to many meetings at the school and it is like talking to yourself. The education department does nothing to help; they insist on re-testing children for an aide even though they know that a child would not qualify for an aide. My son has been tested three times in the last two years, which achieved nothing. So much money has been wasted on testing my son instead of providing him the help he needs.
Alison Liu (via web)
Re: Raising the baa on fees ‘not a Vu Ho tax’
The Merchant of Venice: “In law, what plea so tainted … But being seasoned with a gracious voice, obscures the show of evil?” — a speech characterised by courtesy or civility, which obscures the tainted truth that may lie at the heart of the matter. It is good reasoning to identify the increase as a ‘Vu Ho tax’ as the probability of recovering the council’s legal cost from the poor, unemployed plaintiff would be as good as Shylock recovering his “pound of flesh”. Still, the money has to come from somewhere. My suggestion: “Mercy is an attribute to God himself.” Mercy has the largest effect on the mighty, perhaps because the decision of those in ‘power’ (like the council and the legal teams) affect many people. Mercy ‘becomes’ a king more than his crown, as it shows the king to the best advantage. Raising taxes on real working people during such difficult times and calling these taxes by other names are actions to the contrary.
Alex Hoe (via web)
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