you have your heart in the right place, but you cannot save everyone, and school is not the only avenue to assist.

It does not matter what you create, its personal choices that shine through with drugs and these people choose to make them.

It is not about pressure, its about the need to feel good when things are down, weather at home, problems with peers and peer pressure, etc.

Matt Noffs, son of Ted. That must be a daunting world in which you live . I admire Ted, always have. Matt, I am attached to the word “Realist”. Maybe you are confused by the real meaning of school education, as we have it in our Australian society anyway. Here is another view. If kids wish to use drugs and partake in other anti social activities during school hours, kick them out. What is needed now is a respect for an education provided by tax payers to all children, and a respect for authority. Sounds novel , but the big stick works well.

Matt,
it is an excellent piece of writing – an eye opener.

Indeed, so often we do things ‘because we always do that’ are they good or not.

Expelling of troubled students is one of them.

Does it solve the problem?
No!

Does it help anyhow to solve the problem?
No!

It just helps the school to avoid the problem – by passing it to someone else. But with all those things – it is just obvious ‘solution’.

But there is more to that: the ‘realist’ response. It shows how easy it is to deny the problem, deny responsibility for it, and deprive ourselves a vision to do something about it.

‘Realist’ wrote:
“you cannot save everyone"

-> yes, but isn’t it good enough to save some?

“and school is not the only avenue to assist”

->yes, but neither is anything else. Moreover: school is the most efficient avenue to do anything about youth. Families would be the most effective way, and by all means most important, but changing families is much more a complicated thing to achieve.

Once again: Matt, it is a great article. We need people who would say “guys, we are heading in a wrong direction”.

Expelling troubled students is a wrong direction, and limiting schools’ actions to that is even worse.

It’s not good enough to say ‘it’s their choice, it’s their fault. We all are responsible if our youth reverts to escapism: we the uncaring parents, we the boring teachers, dishonest politicians and crooked corporate leaders.

We all give a good – or bad example; we all do – or do not inspire our children.

People who look for solutions - even if they can not save all, even if they are just amongst those who do something - do inspire.

Paul - thanks for your inspiring words also. Although this sort of thing is my job, it's blokes like you that can change the world by seeing that we all have a part to play.

Warm Regards

Matt Noffs

I think Matt Noff's ideas could save the lives of male kids in the bush who kill themselves. In western NSW, we have one of the highest rate of suicide numbers in the world. A US study proved that most of their suicides were homosexuals: isolated, bullied, and driven from their schools and off the face of the earth. In NSW, more studies came to the same conclusion.

If you are sincere in your arguement, Matt, then you would consider backing MLC Lee Rhiannon's bill for a universal anti discrimination act to include private schools, for the welfare and protection of gay kids. With this,we will have less environments that cause youth suicide. Would you have the guts to face your Church to do this?

When I was a discriminated student for being gay, I was bashed every day, and belittled by teachers and I withdrew, became asthmatic, fat,then sick and depressed. I was prescribed pure ephodrine, the cousin of ritlin, for asthma. Suddenly I took up sport, did athletics, the marks went up, lost the asthma, topped the class, changed to a better school.

Little was known about Ritlin then. Even when I improved, I insisted on being an individual and refused to conform to those who suddenly looked weak and misinformed. I still have this belief.

I am now a teacher. Now I see kids in tears, hiding from kids throwing stones at them, and wanting to die. It is challenging to face this: how my actions on reflections, to be a responsible teacher, is most confronting. Some bullies became my collegues in teaching, and schools value bullies for their sport, as blokes, and ignore the opressed, labelled "the uncooperative problems" : nothing much has changed. It is easier to value bullies as "positive role models" as opposed to me being the "negative role model".

I agree with Matt, individuality and active lisening saves lives. It really is haunting when you see ritlin enforced for the wrong reasons, and the wrong students are punnished. Prejudice and bullying is endemic in our schools.

This last issue raised does worry me. Homosexuality in schools (and the wider community) IS oppressed.

It is oppressed because it bewilders the mainstream.

To be brutally honest mate - it sounds like you made it through to the other side anyway!

I'll write further on this when I have an opinion formed.

Congratulations for being proud mate - although I'm straight, I certainly strive to create a more understanding world.
Warm Regards,

Matt Noffs