News In Brief

Government must clarify school ‘fees’ or ‘donation’

Family First NZ says that the new government must clarify to parents whether school fees are compulsory or not.

“Labour’s education minister Chris Carter said that he would personally deal with complaints from parents if schools try to force them to pay voluntary school fees, and that no school had a legal right to insist that parents pay voluntary fees,” says Bob McCoskrie, national director of Family First NZ.

“Schools deserve to know where they stand on this issue, and the expectations of parents should be made clear.”

Lending hand with hard times ahead

Tai Poutini Polytechnic is responding to the worsening economic climate and rising unemployment by offering students education courses at no cost to them, in an effort to help upskill the West Coast in preparation for an economic turnaround.

Local unemployment is predicted to increase to 5.7 per cent by 2010 so Tai Poutini Polytechnic is acting now to boost skilled labour and offer training to build on existing skills.

Experimental test subjects wanted

UCOL lecturers are looking for members of the public to become volunteer test subjects in the name of research.

The lecturers are researching the effect of getting hot during exercise.

Expert (senior lecturer) in exercise and sport science, Patrick Lander, says the trials are a good chance for the public to have a look at a working exercise and sport science laboratory, and not only see what goes on, but be part of the action.

He says they’re looking for males, aged between 18 and 35, who are recreationally active.
Anyone interested in becoming a test subject should contact Patrick on 06-965 3801 extension 64704, and leave their name and contact details.

New sunbed safety guidelines need legal force: Greens

Green Party health spokesperson Sue Kedgley is calling on the government to follow Australia and make newly-released sunbed guidelines mandatory.

Ms Kedgley says she welcomes the new joint Australian/NZ guidelines – that restrict sunbed use for fair-skinned people and those under 18 – but says regulatory force is needed to make them compulsory.

Electronic card spending down in December

The seasonally adjusted value of the total Electronic Card Transaction (ECT) series decreased 0.7 per cent in December 2008 compared with November 2008, Statistics NZ has said.

The retail ECT series had a similar result, decreasing 0.5 per cent, whereas the value of the core retail ECT series (which excludes the motor vehicle-related industries) increased 0.2 per cent in December 2008.

There were 99 million electronic transactions in December 2008 with a value of $5.6 billion.