Brainwashing in New Zealand

[Dim]

It's just hit the media here that a high-school level Economics Exam contains the following questions:

The New Zealand government provides 'free'... education at state secondary schools. Explain why this results in a better resource allocation than the free market...

And:

Explain why using 'free market' policies causes income inequality.

Both of which (IMNSHO) are pretty fucking Orwellian no matter where your political sympathies fall. I can't help but see this as the flip-side of the 'evolution is only a theory' debates about schoolbooks in the US.

[Kapa]

Mmmm, all a bit over my head mate- just like school "Economics" was. I flunked at that subject terribly, or more like just went on strike. So Dim, hows the New Zealand summer going ....laughs.....

[muskrat]

Thats a good laugh, George would be proud. That nasty free market talk will get them no where. I can imagine the opening scene of the NZ 'Simpsons' where Bart writes on the board........'cradle to the grave' and 'US nuke ships out' and other Marxist anti-american propaganda.

Kapa dont feel bad about flunking, Otago Uni just established an Irish Chair and wants expat kiwis to teach about Irish stuff.

Cheers MR

[Tarkan]

It's just hit the media here that a high-school level Economics Exam contains the following questions:

The New Zealand government provides 'free'... education at state secondary schools. Explain why this results in a better resource allocation than the free market...

And:

Explain why using 'free market' policies causes income inequality.

Both of which (IMNSHO) are pretty fucking Orwellian no matter where your political sympathies fall. I can't help but see this as the flip-side of the 'evolution is only a theory' debates about schoolbooks in the US.

Uh, evolution IS only a theory. It happens to be the best theory around for explaining speciation, but at the end of the day, it's only a theory.

I'm not sure what the problem is with either one of those questions. They are a little presumptious, but I think the purpose is to promote critical thinking more than it is to push say an anti-capitalist agenda.

[Lochaber]

Even the most hard-core lover of free market economics knows that it causes income inequality. It's neither a surprise nor a bad thing.

[Kapa]

Kapa dont feel bad about flunking, Otago Uni just established an Irish Chair and wants expat kiwis to teach about Irish stuff.

.... are you joking muskrat- thought they'd be more interested in their Scottish heritage. Would you believe it if I told you I flunked at Otago aswell (yeah- well okay...) ....... too much time hanging around Radio One, partying and going to gigs- the last days of the glorious Dunedin music scene- a blast! Hey, it is great to see how many Kiwis visit the BFC.... jeez, we must even out number the Aussies...

[muskrat]

Definatley Irish Kapa. Ironically Eamon Cleary (wealthy Otago Irish expat businessman) left school at 11, now can afford a huge donation to kick off the chair. Sorry to dissapoint but I'm an Aussie.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3106850a7694,00.html

Cheers MR

[Kapa]

whats an Aussie browsing "Stuff" for.... a Kiwi wanabe.... he he he.....
P.s Guess your closer to a 'Kiwi' than Dim though..... ha

[ROB]

Yes - it is very presumptuous indeed!

A "Brainwashed Kiwi" is a physiological impossibility. ;)

[Prodigal Son]

Also....those questions happen to discuss real things that can happen in the economy. If education is a pure public good (unlikely) or if there are significant positive externalities associated with getting an education (likely) then state provision is theoretically more efficient. Similarly, free markets often lead to income inequality since outcomes in equilibrium can only be judged by their relative efficiency, not their inherent "fairness". An outcome wherein I start with 100 and you start with 1 and after trade you get 2 and I get 1,000 is considered better than an outcome that is more even, say where we each get 50.

[Buzzsaw]

That's a decent answer to the question. It's not a difficult essay question to answer, especially if you have been studying the subject as I assume students would have been.

The problem is that it's such a leading question.

It would be far better if it was worded in such a way as "Discuss resource allocation as it relates to New Zealand's "free" secondary education program and compare and contrast to possible free market alternatives."

That would allow the student to actually formulate a thought and express it as opposed to regurgitating indoctrination.

For small, advanced, relatively homogenous countries like New Zealand and some of the Scandinavian coutries, socialist programs like this are not necessarily a bad idea at all. It's a completely different environment, both in operations and financing, than in a massive, fragmented, heterogenous society like the United States.

Strong arguments can be made both ways by thoughtful and well-studied pupils.

[Dim]

Another NZ Story.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,310 ... 60,00.html

A woman who was furious about police taking her three preserved snakes stormed down to the Hamilton station and threw a jar of pickled kittens at the counter.

Susan Hoskyn, 39, said she was so mad she could barely contain herself as she made her way to the police station about 1pm on Sunday.

"I walked in the door and said 'You've taken my snakes; here, have my pussy as well', and slammed the jar on to the counter."