"Education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire."

This

Plus this

Plus this Plus this

equals this ... Parent convicted of assaulting children -Three smacks and he's 'guilty'

and this, 'Little darling' faces preschool expulsion;

and this, Police called after 9-year-old goes berserk at school;

and this, Primary teachers meet over beatings from students;

and this, Teachers protest at school violence ... hence Secondary schools struggle for staff, as do primary schools, and the granting of "limited authority to teach" permits for (unqualified teachers)up to three years (Previously, the permits were valid for a year at most) ... and this, Stress rife as teacher shortage worsens ... and this largely as a consequence of a greater percentage of less manageable kids, greater demands on teaching staff, too many education providers producing too many questionably competent graduates and a low and rapidly declining status for teachers... and this situation is rapidly compounding.

Combine this with NZCER researcher Adrian Alton-Lee attributing only a 16% effect size for educational achievement to teacher effects (quality) and you have one of the strongest arguments for home-schooling there ever has been, and daily it is becoming more compelling. For example, would you entrust people whose input could only realise such minimal effect in teaching your children to 'safely' cross the road?

Little wonder that Desperate parents are using extreme measures to enrol their children in out-of-zone schools, in schools they feel their children can acquire a sound education.