ACT's David Seymour - i like his style.

[Bjauck]

Paying teachers based on performance rather than collective lowest common denominator seems like a good idea to me

If you have excellent teachers but in an area of increasing poverty, increasing overcrowding and/or substandard housing and poor quality equipment, the chances are their performance will suffer. If some teachers increasingly have students who are inadequately nourished and clothed and the students continually fall ill, then some teachers have a deteriorating environment in which they try to teach

[artemis]

If you have excellent teachers but in an area of increasing poverty, increasing overcrowding and/or substandard housing and poor quality equipment, the chances are their performance will suffer. If some teachers increasingly have students who are inadequately nourished and clothed and the students continually fall ill, then some teachers have a deteriorating environment in which they try to teach

The Ministry for Vulnerable Children should be knocking at those doors then, with a view to removing those children to a home where they will be fed, clothed, not overcrowded, get the health care they need, and be supported at school.

That would remove the burden from teachers, who are supposed to be there to teach. And from parents who are not caring properly for their children,

[minimoke]

The Ministry for Vulnerable Children should be knocking at those doors then, with a view to removing those children to a home where they will be fed, clothed, not overcrowded, get the health care they need, and be supported at school.

That would remove the burden from teachers, who are supposed to be there to teach. And from parents who are not caring properly for their children,

Exactly.
Get the teachers teaching - and reward the good ones. Get the social workers social working - and likewise reward the good ones.

Above all set some consequences for parents who aren't providing the basics and prefer to have their children in "poverty"

[Bjauck]

Exactly.
Get the teachers teaching - and reward the good ones. Get the social workers social working - and likewise reward the good ones

Agreed. Spot on!