Latest news with #Uphill
Sky News AU
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
'Tell me that to my face': War memorial director hits back at activists claiming Anzac Day glorifies war
The director of Australia's national war memorial has hit back at suggestions that honouring Anzac troops glorifies war, saying that his critics should 'tell me that to my face'. Anzac Day criticism has come from pro-Palestine lobby group Teachers and School Staff for Palestine Victoria, which sent thousands of teachers around the country a teaching resource called 'Challenging Anzac Day', The Age reported. The resource encouraged teachers to tell students about Australian troops' role in the Middle East after World War I, including in the killing of up to 137 civilians in 1918 in what was then Palestine. 'The brutal massacre committed by the ANZACs at Sarafand al-'Amar chillingly portended the Nakba, the catastrophic displacement of Palestinians in 1947-1949,' the resource says. Australian War Memorial director Matt Anderson spoke to Sky News on Friday, where he responded to criticism directed towards him suggesting the memorial and the national day of remembrance glorified war. He told Sky News Chief News Anchor Kieran Gilbert that his critics should 'play the tape' of Major Angela Uphill speaking at the memorial in Canberra on Friday morning. Major Uphill's husband served in the Australian Defence Force for 20 years, and on Friday she described the devastation of losing her husband to suicide. 'That's the story she told today, and that's the causes, the conduct and the consequences of war. It's not pretty,' Mr Anderson said. '(Major Uphill) is a remarkable officer, she's a remarkable leader, she's a remarkable mum, and she told the truth today that some people bring the war home with them, and when they do, there's consequences to it. I just think those who say we glorify war, visit the war memorial, attend a last post ceremony, and tell me that to my face.' Mr Anderson was also asked about the ongoing importance of teaching children and students "the meaning of Anzac". "My job, my mission is to lead the nation's both commemoration and understanding of the Australian experience of war," he said. The Age reported that the Education Department did not endorse the resource circulated by the pro-Palestine lobby group. 'Our curriculum includes Anzac Day resources that align with guidance from the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne and the Australian War Memorial in Canberra," a spokesperson said.
Yahoo
26-01-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Too cold for school? Why didn't RPS do 'distance learning' on Tuesday?
Jan. 26—Dear Answer Man: I noticed that Rochester Public Schools gave everyone a day off on Tuesday, Jan. 21, when the weather was, admittedly, pretty darn cold. But why cancel school? Didn't the COVID-19 pandemic make school districts experts in remote learning? On top of that, I agree it was cold, but now I'm curious what the temperature cut-off is. — Uphill, Both Ways. Dear Uphill, Back in my day, the snowfall needed to be approaching double-digits before they'd cancel school at the old one-room schoolhouse of my youth. As for cold — and it got plenty cold in my hometown — I can't recall anyone giving us a day off because the mercury was nonexistent. But maybe it's for the best that we don't make kids trudge to school in weather where the air makes their face hurt. Plus, kids these days don't know the first thing about layering their clothes to stay warm. Socks and Crocs isn't a way to keep your feet warm outside. All that said, none of my "back in my day" geezerisms really answer your question. For a definitive answer, I reached out to RPS spokeswoman Mamisoa Knutson. She said the issue of providing remote learning during snow days — something the district calls E-Learning Days — is problematic, and something the teachers union and district negotiated in advance. "We mutually agreed with (Rochester Education Association) that it would not be possible to provide high-quality instruction to all RPS students in the snow day format, as many students may not have their devices at home, may not have access to internet services, or may otherwise not be able to participate," Knutson said. That makes sense. In the interest of being fair to all students, you wouldn't want to teach some kids while others don't have access to lessons. As for when the district decides to pull the plug and keep kids at home — hopefully, under a blanket, eating warm soup — Knutson said there is no hard-and-fast rule. "There is no magic number or a 'how to call off school' manual we can pull off the shelf and follow," Knutson said, adding Kent Pekel probably wishes there was. "No matter the decision made, we won't please everyone. When the windchill is minus-35 degrees or lower, the likelihood of equipment failure, such as buses not starting, increases." In the case of Tuesday's closing, Knutson said, the National Weather Service issued an Extreme Cold Warning, the timing of which would have put students either waiting at bus stops or walking to school during the coldest temperatures of the day when frostbite is possible within 10 minutes. "For the safety of our students, we made the decision to cancel school (Tuesday)," she said. If calling off school for cold temperatures sounds like more of an art than a science, you ain't seen nothing yet. Knutson said determining when to call a snow day depends on the timing of the snowfall, the amount of snow, the ability of the city and county's public works staff to clear the roads adequately for buses to travel safely, and the ability of RPS staff to clear parking lots so staff and students have a place to park when they arrive at school. "Heavy snowfall during the morning or afternoon commute makes it more difficult for buses to safely pick up and drop students off at their destinations," she said. "And unlike the temperature predictions, which tend to be largely reliable, snowfall predictions can be tricky. A low-level jet stream and some dry air, and bam ... the snowstorm ends up north of Cannon Falls, and we barely have to shovel. It's a delicate dance." So kvetch if you must, Uphill, but let's not begrudge those kids a day off on a cold Minnesota morning. After all, a snow — or cold — day is a rite of passage. Don't give your concerns the cold shoulder. Send questions to Answer Man at answerman@ .
