This post is a bit different to my usual offering. The short version is that here in New Zealand, teachers need a ‘Practicing Certificate’ to be able to teach. The fees for said piece of plastic are set to almost double. Schools don’t pay the fee on behalf of their teaching staff so as teachers we are expected to pay to be able to do the job we love.

As one might imagine, the outcry has been quite loud. The Chief Executive of the Teachers Council tried to tell us all that the total fee equated to the price of a $3 coffee each week. This is the oldest trick in the book – where someone who should know better tries to convince others that an expensive item is not so bad if it is broken down into small chunks. Of course, this is what is known as a false equivalence – as there is a big difference between optionally treating oneself to a hot beverage and paying a compulsory fee.

Below is an infographic I made to highlight the situation.

Today’s Gratitude Item: That our school network which was ‘down’ before school this morning came back up in time for my first class. No network = no possibility of anyone in my room doing any work (which is not good).