Actually, I can't imagine anything more tedious than a perfect person, especially if it was someone who also demanded perfection from me. Hugh Mackay More Quotes by Hugh Mackay More Quotes From Hugh Mackay 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. Hugh Mackay education teacher children No one welcomes chaos, but why crave stability and predictability? Hugh Mackay stability chaos crave Although we love the idea of choice - our culture almost worships it - we seek refuge in the familiar and the comfortable. Hugh Mackay choices culture ideas With increasing frequency and growing vehemence, you hear people saying they are ashamed to be Australians. Hugh Mackay vehemence growing people But many researchers operate as if it is their responsibility to demonstrate that video violence has a direct effect on the behaviour of young children, because that will help to explain why society is becoming more violent. Hugh Mackay direct-effect responsibility children 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. Hugh Mackay games play children 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? Hugh Mackay growing-up skills fall 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. Hugh Mackay skills writing ideas Indeed, in the present climate of mistrust of institutions, many people who yearn for a more meaningful and fulfilling life would regard the church as an unlikely place to go for guidance. Hugh Mackay church meaningful people 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. Hugh Mackay name never wish sympathy 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. Hugh Mackay best change life 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. Hugh Mackay i-wish suffering wish people Recounting their histories, people often sound like interested bystanders to their own lives. Hugh Mackay own like sound people The underlying message of the Lancet article is that if you want to understand aggressive behaviour in children, look to the social and emotional environment in which they are growing up, and the values they bring to the viewing experience. Hugh Mackay look you experience children 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? Hugh Mackay fight action education culture
