Megan+Be+Opinion+Writing

Earlier this year Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples was proposing to bring in a law that meant that Maori people would be allowed into tertiary education regardless of qualifications. At the moment everyone needs certain results in NCEA to be allowed into a type of tertiary education. Pita Sharples said that allowing Maori people places at university, regardless of their qualifications would boost Maoris succeeding at higher levels. There have been many debates since then about whether or not this is a good idea and if it could actually improve the number of Maori graduates. To start with I think that it would be very unfair and racist that people of one race are given assistance to achieve in their life, while people of another race are not. Jacqualene Poutu from the National Maori Tertiary Students Association says the plan is "not a Maori hand-out", but that it's about "addressing the wider issues of New Zealand's social and economical disparity.” Personally I disagree, people are saying that racism in New Zealand is getting worse and I think that this is good proof of that. If we want to stop the racism in New Zealand I do not think this is the right way to do things. Secondly I think if these Maori students are not smart enough to reach the required exam results to get into tertiary education, it is unlikely that they are going to be smart enough to get a degree at university. Friends and family have told me that university is a lot harder than high school so I think that these students will not be able to succeed at university. I think this is something quite important that Pita Sharples did not think about before proposing this law. Therefore this law would not have any positive impact on today’s society. Furthermore think that if this law is enforced it might also affect those Maori students that have been accepted into university with out help. Because if all Maori people were allowed into tertiary education regardless of qualifications, these peoples accomplishments of making it into university will mean nothing because to most people they will just be thought of as another person who has had assistance to get into university. On various comment pages Maori students have been disgusted with the proposal, saying that it is “ an embarrassment to all Maori who have got of their backsides and earned everything they have.” I agree, I think that this is very unfair, these people who have got into university with out help should not be put down because of a law that is unlikely to do any good. But on the other hand, I think that by the time these Maori students are ready for university, they might have matured and they might be ready to learn. Pita Sharples said that “anyone could come out of school with a miserable record and go straight to university.” I agree with this, the reason that these students might not have passed their exams at school might not have been because they were not smart enough, but instead it might have been because of maturity levels. By the time they get to university I think that these students might perform better than they did at college. The other reason I think that this law would be good thing is because studies show that only 7% of university graduates are Maori and less Maori high school students make it to university than any other ethnicity. I think that if Maori students were allowed into tertiary education regardless of qualifications this percentage is more likely to increase. So in conclusion I think that Maori people should not be allowed into tertiary education regardless of qualifications. This is mainly because I think that the law is racist and New Zealand will not benefit from it. I also believe that if these students are not bright enough to pass their school exams with high enough marks, it is unlikely that they will be able to get a degree at university J
 * Maori people should not be allowed into tertiary education regardless of qualifications **


 * Sport is good for you**

Sport is a type of physical activity played for enjoyment all around the world. Sport can be played in a variety of ways, in teams or individually. Sports events are mainly to test the ability, skill, speed, strength or endurance of athletes against others. Non-professional competitors play because they enjoy it, not for the money. Professional sportsmen and woman do get paid but because people like to watch them compete against others of the same ability.

To start with sport is a great fun way to get exercise and keep fit. There are lots of health benefits that come with playing a sport. These include weight loss, a clearer mind, as well as stronger muscles. There are so many sports, from fencing to athletics, rugby to gymnastics, boxing to soccer, there is a sport out there for nearly everyone.

Secondly sport is a great way to learn to learn some of the important values that you need in life. A large number of sports involve teamwork and cooperation. Also playing sport helps you learn that you don’t always have to win and that playing your best and having fun is sometimes more important. Sort can also teach you reliability and responsibility, you learn that you need to turn up to practices and train well to perform to your best ability in your chosen sport.

Another reason why sport is good for you is because sports teams and training groups are a great way of getting out more and making new friends. Children who go to a small school, or who are even home schooled have limited chances to make good friends. Sports teams give them another chance to do so.

Even children who have a large circle of friends still benefit from the chance of meeting new people through a sports team. A sports team is also a great way for adults to get out and meet new people while relaxing and having fun.

Finally sports help you learn to set goals and it gives you something to aim for. Small goals such as scoring one goal every game or winning 50% of the games that they play, will give some children the small amount of inspiration that is needed for them to perform that little bit better. The goal setting side of it might even reflect in some children at school.

Over all I think sport is good for you, like I said it is a great way to stay fit and healthy, you can learn a lot of things that will help you in life, you get to meet some great people who you would have never met before, and finally playing a sport will give you something to strive for and improve your goal setting.

 Anti-Smacking Law The Anti-Smacking law was first introduced in 2007, this means that parents are now not allowed to smack a child even as part of good parenting. Since then there has been many arguments and debates about whether or not the law has made an improvement in the amount of cases of child abuse in New Zealand. Personally I think that the law is a good idea. To start with adults should not be allowed to hit or smack children, mainly because if the adult losses control the child could get hurt. The smacking could also lead to beating and more serious issues. Also I think that adults should not be able to hit children in a way that is serious enough to get charged for if the same behaviour was aimed at another adult. Secondly, people are talking about how children are the next generation, and are going to make a big difference to the world. But how are they supposed to do that if their main role models are the ones that they associate with violence because they got hit or smacked by them when they were younger. These children might even grow up thinking that violence is okay and they might even become violent themselves. Another reason that I think that the Anti-Smacking law is a good idea is because I do not think that smacking is an effective way of disciplining a child. There are more successful ways of teaching a child the difference between right and wrong, such as a reward process for good behaviour, and a TV or pocket money ban as a consequence for bad behaviour. Violence is not the answer. Moreover smacking is harmful to children and not just in the obvious physical way. Smacking also has long-term consequences on children mentally. Smacking can lessen children’s confidence and self belief. Smacking can even affect behaviour of the child at school, smacking can encourage the use of violence to sort out disagreements or fights, therefore the child is more likely get in trouble at school. I am not saying that the smacking ban will stop all cases of child abuse in the country, but I believe that it might make some parents aware that what they are doing to their children is not just a example of good parenting, but instead something that could potently harm their child. Therefore the ban is doing some good. I think that the smacking ban is a good thing, because like I said smacking can harm children, it can lessen their confidence, it is not a good parenting method and it is unfair if children do not receive the same legal protection from violence as adults. I also believe that even a small decrease in child abuse cases in New Zealand is a good thing.