Hugh Mackay
Hugh Mackay
weekend community anxiety
If I were asked about what to do about the level of insecurity and anxiety in contemporary Australian society, I wouldn't start with politics and I wouldn't say too much about terrorism. I'd suggest as a first step, that you invite the neighbours over for a drink this weekend. Today a drink, tomorrow a barbeque, pretty soon, a community.
growing-up fall skills
Is it possible that literacy standards are falling because young Australians are growing up in a culture in which they can be entertained and informed, and in which they can communicate effectively, without having to master any but the most rudimentary literacy skills?
writing skills ideas
Yet in our enthusiasm for the idea that everyone should be able to read and write fluently, we may be missing a crucial point: in today's culture, finely honed literacy skills are simply not as important as they once were.
chaos stability crave
No one welcomes chaos, but why crave stability and predictability?
teacher children educational
Parents should be encouraged to read to their children, and teachers should be equipped with all available techniques for teaching literacy, so the varying needs and capacities of individual kids can be taken into account.
children worrying-too-much trying
Some researchers sensibly suggest that rather than worrying too much about which programs our children are watching, we should concentrate on trying to reduce the total amount of time they spend in front of the screen.
children games play
Still, most of those effects occur in the context of harmless play and it is patently obvious that children are not normally turned into aggressive little monsters by TV or video games, since most children do not become aggressive little monsters.
ideas choices culture
Although we love the idea of choice - our culture almost worships it - we seek refuge in the familiar and the comfortable.
lovely magic inevitable
It seems inevitable that the magic of the written word will fade.
action american-athlete bold central continue defend education fight goal happening literacy question universal
The question is, will we continue to fight what may be a rearguard action to defend universal literacy as a central goal of our education system, or are we bold enough to see what's actually happening to our culture?
american-athlete best chance change creative embrace learned lives people perhaps possibilities stand sudden taken twists whose
Perhaps it's the people whose lives have taken sudden new twists - people who have learned to embrace the creative possibilities of change - who stand the best chance of penetrating life's mysteries.
appalling carried saying sympathy tolerate total treatment
I'm in total sympathy with Dick Smith's sentiments; I only wish there were grounds for saying we Australians would never tolerate such appalling treatment of refugees being carried out in our name.
american-athlete countries designed inflict people
I wish we didn't have to own up to a policy deliberately designed to inflict suffering on people who have already been traumatised in the countries from which they've fled.
american-athlete people recounting
Recounting their histories, people often sound like interested bystanders to their own lives.