Gloriavale opens its doors to an unrestricted inquiry, but its findings aren't expected to see the light of day, and a new survey finds NZ's early childhood education sector in crisis.
A former High Court judge has been granted unrestricted access to Gloriavale following allegations of sexual abuse and mismanagement at the secretive Christian community.
1 NEWS can reveal Christchurch-based lawyers Nicholas Davidson QC and Stephanie Grieve have been asked by trustees to hold an independent inquiry into issues arising there.
Davidson and Grieve say “there is no fetter on that inquiry”, however their report will go to the trustees “for them to respond as they see fit and it is confidential to them unless they choose to publish it in any form”.
Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust spokeswoman Liz Gregory believes leaders won’t want the report to see the light of day and will likely bury it.
Zion Pilgrim, a Gloriavale leader forced out of the community last year, also doubts the investigation will spark any change , but hopes the report will find its way to the Government.
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ECE sector 'unstable'
A New Zealand Educational Institute survey has revealed the growing toll early childhood education teacher shortages are having on staff.
The survey responses show more than 80 per cent think the shortages have affected their ability to teach, while nearly 87 per cent feel the situation has affected the children they teach.
A significant pay difference between qualified kindergarten teachers and ECE teachers is only making the issue worse .
Education Minister Chris Hipkins acknowledges there’s “growing pressure in the ECE space” and says the Government response to that will likely “be stepped out over several budgets”.
Meanwhile, increasing violence in Northland schools has principals fearing for the safety of their staff and pupils.
They say children as young as five are hitting, biting, and swearing at teachers and that the behaviour is becoming more common.
Principals say their repeated calls to the Government for help are falling on deaf ears.
Police in the area say they’re meeting school leaders this week to gain a better understanding of the issues.
A year of working at Level 4
New Zealand’s border staff are hopeful of returning to some kind of normal after a year working under Alert Level 4 conditions.
TVNZ’s Sunday programme has spoken to two of the thousands of employees who’ve received their Covid-19 vaccines and say they’re looking forward to more protection in their roles. They say 2020 was a rollercoaster, but living in Level 4 at work and Level 3 at home has become “second nature” now.
With border staff vaccinations well underway, attention is now turning to the rest of the population and achieving herd immunity.
Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says good vaccine uptake will hasten the opening of New Zealand’s borders.
His comments come as Qantas CEO Alan Joyce again speaks of “vaccine passports” becoming a reality in future .
He told the BBC that “governments are going to insist” on vaccines for travellers, but if they don’t, he still thinks the airline should enforce its own vaccine policy.
Staff in shock over stabbing
Auckland University says its staff are in shock over what it's calling the tragic killing of a co-worker.
Elizabeth Bangera has been named as one of those killed in an attack in the Auckland suburb of Epsom on Friday. Her husband, Herman Bangera, also died.
The university says Ms Bangera worked there for many years and was a highly respected colleague and friend.
Police yesterday described the double homicide as a "family harm" incident and a "tragedy".
Two other people were taken to hospital following the attack. One, who is related to the deceased couple, remains in a critical condition and is under police guard.
Police say the man will be formally interviewed “at the appropriate time”.
Youthline gets funding boost
The Government has pledged nearly $1 million for Youthline in a boost for mental health services for New Zealand’s young people.
The investment follows a $4 million funding increase for rainbow youth mental health services last month.
Youthline has been inundated with calls during the pandemic and has been struggling to meet demand. Health Minister Andrew Little says the new funding will make it possible for them to help more Kiwi kids.
Other news of note this morning:
- Torrential rain has left parts of Sydney battling the city’s highest floodwater levels in decades .
- RNZ reports the MIQ booking system is receiving around 100 formal complaints every week.
- ACT says the closure of an Auckland strawberry farm reflects the Government's failure to protect the horticulture industry.
- With New Zealand set to steadily increase its population, TVNZ’s Q+A has debated the ideal number for the country’s infrastructure to keep up with.
- The New Zealand Olympic Committee says it's disappointed international spectators won't be able to attend the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
- Police have released the name of the man who died in a skydiving accident in Mt Maunganui on Saturday.
- The fire which destroyed two police vehicles at New Brighton Police Station in Christchurch yesterday is no longer being treated as suspicious .
- And an Eden Park executive may have let the cat out of the bag about the next act playing at the Auckland stadium.
And finally...
Forget those couple of Rugby World Cup titles. Richie McCaw has achieved what most can only dream of – a special guest star performance with The Wiggles .
The former All Blacks captain surprised fans of the band at their Christchurch show yesterday, performing Scotland the Brave on the bagpipes.
McCaw later returned to the stage to showcase his best dad dance moves to the song Fruit Salad, which his wife Gemma joked was “his greatest achievement to date”.
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