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- Submissions
- Submission: Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
- Submission made online
- Against forced child care from age 3
- Don’t want our rights to raise our children taken from us
- Children’s best interests would NOT be served by compulsory attendance at E.C. E. facilities
- One size does not fit all.
- The bill actively discriminates against beneficiaries
- Blatant discrimination of those receiving a benefit
- Young children do best in all aspects of life in the care of their family
- Healthy people build healthy communities. Healthy family attachments build healthy people.
- From a single Mother
- ECE doesn’t seem to suit every child
- It is institutional misogyny
- I strongly disagree that children so young (3 years) need to be in Early Childhood Centre
- From a Solicitor and Notary Public and mother of four children
- Importance of establishing secure attachment relationships during infancy in order to optimise brain development
- I feel my own family will suffer majorly if this Bill was to pass.
- I am a 20 year old single male
- For many children ‘later’ is better than ‘earlier’ when it comes to institutional education
- Three year olds are far too young to be away from their parents
- This is unfair and discriminatory
- The Bill is discriminatory and marginalises beneficiaries
- Motherless and Fatherless children of NZ forced to have the only parent they have taken away!
- An enforced separation of parent and child at the hands of government in exchange for financial assistance is both cruel and contrary to the nature of our free society
- Every child and every family is different!
- This legislation targets good parents – not the bad ones
- The government is saying that because I’m a solo parent I’m unable to make the right decisions for my children
- This is the worst kind of government interference into how people choose to raise their families
- It is offensive that the job my mother has done and so many other single parents do, is so under-valued
- ECE is not beneficial and is not and can not be a substitute for a caring, loving home environment
- Trust good parents to make good decisions
- I am a mother, not a babysitter and I absolutely oppose this bill
- Trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, slavery and deception
- This is invasive legislation discriminating against excellent parents and removing their freedom to raise their children in a secure loving environment and not going to achieve better lives for neglected children
- This proposed bill will show the New Zealand Government to be punitive and untrustworthy
- Children do not belong to the state
- From Romania: Please learn from the mistakes others did in history! Thank you!
- Children need to be with their family, and nurtured, they must not be treated as tools to force parents to comply with this bill.
- I also believe it enforces the detachment of children from their parents at an age which can be detrimental for many
- The bill falsely presumes that all beneficiaries’ children are at risk
- A child’s right is to be with their parents. To be loved and nurtured and protected.
- Family Integrity’s submission
- In it’s breadth it overshoots and impinges on the basic rights of dedicated and thinking parents such as myself
- Please do the right thing and don’t sully New Zealand’s reputation: vote down this bill
- It is a well researched, known and documented fact that it is parental involvement that makes the difference in regards to educational outcomes, not the institutional education of a child
- Keep our mana intact, don’t steal our children
- Reject compulsory ECE
- From a small Home Education Support Group
- This National government would be well advised and warned to examine carefully the agendas of those who have promoted, lobbied for and recommended the actions in this bill in order to maintain peace, good relations, civility and lawful behaviour in our communities
- Introducing this bill will not achieve a healthy end result for the wonderful country we live in
- Staying in the home saves everyone money including the government money in not having to fund ECE’s
- New Zealand jails are full of people who went to school not people who were home-educated
- Submission from the USA — Author of “Raising Real Men: Surviving, Teaching and Appreciating Boys”
- To be a beneficiary in Christchurch with an added ‘bonus’ of this reform will utterly destroy some
- Those Who Would Give Away Their Children for Money, Deserve Neither Children NOR Money
- I believe the Welfare Reform Bill to be invalid not only for human rights breaches but also as a Maori for the breach of Article 2 of the Treaty and the breach of the UNDRIP which was endorsed by government in 2010.
- Home-educated children do HALF of all the BAD CITIZEN things and DOUBLE all of the GOOD CITIZEN things
- Stephen’s submission
- We are people, Real People
- Home Education Foundation’s submission
- I worked at an Early Childhood Center before our little ones were born, we would never send our children to an Early Childhood Education Center
- The negative impact of early education is well documented and well ignored by government
- What a step backwards this bill is!
- If you are deprived of love and affection as a child then key areas of your brain which are responsible for your personality don’t get wired up correctly
- Children, again are the victims – and I call that child abuse
- A good government does not come into people’s homes and tell them how to raise their children
- I see this Bill as an abuse on young children and their parents
- Samuel Blight’s submission
- Submission from Poland
- Tarnya’s submission
- This is a poor attempt at trying to tackle New Zealand’s benefit problems!
- Is this law about the mighty dollar or about social engineering?
- Are 100% of beneficiaries to be treated as though they need to be kept away from their children
- Barbara Smith’s submission
- We need your help
- Letter to Human Rights Commission
- Right of Parents to Choose Education
- MP Electorate office for Peaceful Protest
- Sample letter to Select Committee members
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Sincere condolences to all of the Smith family. Craig was a great inspiration to me when I first began homeschooling our children many years ago. He always gave the impression that you were never wasting his time 🙂 No matter what trivial questions I asked him he never made me feel as if it did not matter.
He will be remembered by us as a strong Christian man who stood by his beliefs, loved his family and others and as a great encourager.
Sincerely
Ken and Karen Silvester
Morrinsville
All our love thoughts and prayers are with you at this time as we remember an amazing man who along with you,his family,touched so many lives.As Karen Silvester has commented-Craig never gave the impression that any question was too ‘silly’ to be answered(and boy I asked a few!).A truly remarkable man with an incredible passion for home education!!!
Love to you all.
Ian and Bobbie Brickell and family.
When we first considered the idea of home based education Craig and Barbara Smith and family and the Home Education Foundation were mentioned as part of the pioneering group of people who were actively involved with supporting and helping those who were considering home education. I remember requesting and receiving a pack of colourful
information from them whilst our children were still quite young.
Barbara and family, we are thinking of you today at your time of remembrance and celebration, but also of the loss I can only imagine you all will be feeling at this time of mixed emotions now and over the ensuing moments of time. Queen Elizabeth 2 said “Grief is the price we pay for love”, but may you also experience extra portions of comfort, love and strength as you gradually
adjust over time, but of course never forget your blessed loved one.
with love from Peter and Judith and family xx
Dear Barbara and children,
How our hearts and prayers go out for you all who miss your husband and father. We are thankful for the wonderful life he lived serving His Lord. May the Lord hold you closely during this time of transition.
Love in Christ,
Brian & Suzanne Reid
Idaho Coalition of Home Educators
I add my condolences also. Craig was a humble and strong, amazing man of God who was tireless in advocating for God, family & home education. I am so sorry I only just caught this sad news today, I know he will be greatly missed by his family and those of us around New Zealand who he made feel were also part of his family, no matter how little contact we may have had. He has hugely influenced me in my Christian home educating journey.
Barbara, you are a wonderful woman of God I hope you will be able to continue the work the 2 of you have built up, along with the support of your great family. They are a testimony to all you both have done for so long.
God bless you all at this time and for the future,
Mari Swindley