School Funding: A Societal Fissure?

Dear Students, Parents and Carers

School funding is topical at the moment. Letters to newspaper editors often feature contributions by members of the public against the category described, generally, as ‘private schools’. This has the potential to be a live, and perhaps contentious discussion for Shore parents at the proverbial dinner party or through interactions with work colleagues. In a sense, the horse has bolted on this one as in Australia’s two most populous cities, Sydney and Melbourne, well over 40 percent of Years 11 and 12 students attend non-government and independent schools. Discussion often provides more heat than light; hence, here are a few facts to clarify this situation.

Australia has three schooling sectors. The first, government schools, comprises those schools run by the Department of Education in that state or territory. The second is the non-government sector, usually comprising systemic schools operated under some central authority such as the Catholic Education Office. These central offices mimic the Department of Education in that they are authoritative entities and governing bodies. The third is the independent sector, a loose affiliation of schools governed by their own school Councils/Boards, which are entities in themselves. A point of confusion is that sometimes independent schools can be swept up with the non-government sector, as defining all those schools which are not responsible to the Department of Education. 

As a function of federalism, state governments mostly fund government schools (with small contributions to non-government and independent schools), while the situation is reversed in that the federal government directs most of its schooling funds towards non-government and independent schools. These contributions are on a sliding scale: the less needy schools, based on the various indicators, receive the least funding. At Shore, 93 percent of our funds come from private sources, mostly parents paying fees, with some donations through our Foundation. Governments do not contribute to capital works at schools like Shore, as Shore does not qualify for assistance under the socio-economic indicators. 

The funding model is based on SRS (School Resource Standard) indicators, a methodology introduced in the last 15 years following the first Gonski school funding review. The beauty of the Gonski proposals was that funding should be ‘sector blind’, treating independent, systemic and government schools in exactly the same way according to need established on the basis of income, as quantified by the ATO (Australian Taxation Office) and other occupational and educational factors derived from the ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics).

For various reasons, political and financial, no government, whether Coalition or Labor, has fully implemented the Gonski recommendations, either 1.0 or 2.0.

It is sometimes alleged that independent schools take money from government schools. In truth, if there were no independent or non-government schools, the government would need to resource government schools at the full cost of education for the total population of students, rather than pay a proportion only of these schooling funds to non-government and independent schools. 

Government funding of non-government and independent schools occurred after a famous failure of a Catholic school in Goulburn by government inspectors in 1962. The inspectors demanded that this school upgrade its facilities. The school lacked the funds to do so, hence, the local Bishop ordered the closure of all Catholic schools in the diocese and directed all children from those schools to attend local government schools. This was untenable for the government sector, which lacked the facilities and the funds to place these students. This led to the beginning of government funding of non-government and independent schools.

The independent sector now accounts for nearly 19 percent of Australian children, with a little over 18 percent in non-government schools, which are mostly systemic (i.e. Catholic, Steiner and Montessori). A little under 65 percent of Australian students attend government schools. The independent sector has grown by 25 percent in the last 10 years, with half of this growth occurring in the last three years. 

Over half of the independent schools in Australia fall into the low fee bracket, often serving disadvantaged communities. Schools like Shore are able to offer a large range of opportunities to their students, essentially through parent contributions, mostly through fees but also through donations to the School Building Bund and Library Fund. Essentially, parents decide what kind of school best suits their child.

Sadly, the funding wars will probably continue, mostly driven by misinformation and a sense of hostility from some quarters. The Old Testament Book of Proverbs says “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6). Many parents trust schools like Shore to build a values system in boys consistent with the home, which will, indeed, Build Good Men, as is one of our key aims at Shore. In fact, research shows that securing such personal growth in their children is a key reason for parents parting with hard earned dollars as an investment in their child’s development through a school of their choice.

Education Demystified

The education system in which Shore operates is very complex and certainly much different from when parents were at school. Next week, we are offering two sessions in an attempt to explain how education works in New South Wales (NSW). This is not something we will do every year. As a ‘taster’, here are some questions which those of us who speak will attempt to answer:

• What is the ATAR?
• How is it calculated?
• What is scaling in the HSC?
• What is the relationship between NESA (NSW Education Standards Authority) and schools?
• What responsibilities does an independent school have towards the Department of Education?
• What is the difference between the NSW Department of Education and the federal Department of Education and Training?
• What is VETAB and what are Vocational Education courses?
• What is CRICOS?
• What are the indicative hours which apply to curriculum? What are the rules about curriculum?
• What provisions are made for learners with significant issues?

On Tuesday 9 April 2024, parents of Years 3-12 are invited to a session in the Smith Auditorium. The booking link is here.

On Wednesday 10 April 2024, parents of ELC-Year 2 are invited to a session in the K,1,2 Assembly Hall at Northbridge. The booking link is here.

Headmaster Homed

On the last day of Term, your Headmaster heads for hospital for some elective throat surgery. The Professor is a Shore parent, keen to have me fully operational. I will, of necessity, be recuperating during the school holidays, sworn to a vow of silence to let the vocal chords recover. I expect to be in good auditory state at the beginning of Term 2. 

Mr John Collier
Headmaster

Volunteering at Shore

Volunteering is integral to Shore’s vibrant community, fostering a strong connection among the greater School community. It allows parents to contribute meaningfully to our School’s diverse activities and initiatives, from K,1,2 in-class parent helper groups to sport trials, cadets, parent events and much more.

A complete list of support areas and details on how to register can be found on the Shore website.

As an important part of this, the School does need to adhere to the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) guidelines, requiring all parent volunteers to undergo a free Working with Children Check (WWCC) through Service NSW.

The process is straightforward, and you will be required to produce personal identification.

We kindly thank all of our current and past-serving parents for your incredible support.

You are crucial to the continued functioning and improvement of our wonderful School.

AFL Key Dates 2024

Please note the AFL key dates for boys in Term 1, School holidays, and the start of Term 2. Once boys have registered for their Winter Sport, more details of the main events below will be communicated to the boys and their families. Please lock in the dates on your calendar.

TERM 1

TERM 2

Rugby Key Dates 2024

As the Winter Season approaches, please note the following key dates for boys in preparation for the season’s commencement.

Once registrations are open, please ensure your son completes the Sport survey for Winter Sport registration. We cannot communicate with you unless he does that.

Mr D Mason-Jones
MIC Rugby

2024 Lower North Shore Careers Expo

Term Dates 2024

Progress Meetings

Term 2: Notice To Parents – Years 7, 9 and 11

• Information will be emailed home with all the details.
• Boys are expected to attend.
• No co-curricular activities for students who have Progress Meetings.

Mr S Werakso
Staff Professional Co-ordinator

Holiday Hoops Camp

The Shore Basketball Programme will be hosting a Camp during the upcoming Autumn Holidays. The Camp will be available to all school age students and not just limited to Shore students.

Siblings, friends and all keen hoopers, regardless of school, year group, gender or playing experience are welcome to attend the Shore Holiday Hoops Camp.

This is an opportunity to improve skills, learn from an enthusiastic coaching staff and have lots of fun in an enjoyable and competitive environment.

*As a one-time promotional opportunity – for any Shore Student Camper that refers a friend outside of Shore, both Campers will receive a 40% discount to a future Shore Hoops Camp!

To register for the Holiday Hoops Camp please click on the Trybooking link here.

The Illusion Of Freedom

Liberation Paternalism: Reconciling Two Extremes?

M. D. Kwak

THERE’S A NATURAL, PERHAPS EVEN FANATICAL AVERSION TO PATERNALISM (I’m looking at you gun-waving, free-speech-touting Republican Americans), and in many cases, this is perfectly justified. On days when I’m feeling particularly anarchist, I often find myself despairing at the violent tyranny of the Australian state, or Wiki-surfing despotic military dictatorships which were undeniably ‘paternalistic.’ Nevertheless, paternalism is engrained in Western liberal democracies; we outsource decision-making to the state all the time, we trust that our governments know what is in our best interests, and we assume that they will fulfil their mandate. I think this partly arises from the laziness of the average person willing to make the trade-off between complete freedom and crippling inconvenience but also an understanding that the libertarian assumption of “homo economicus” is deeply flawed. Many of us acknowledge that humans don’t possess an infinite ability to make rational decisions (just ask Braden when he’s drafting his Secretarial at 2AM the night it’s due). We’re aware of the existence of biases and misinformation, and human error. We’re incredibly susceptible to certain tricks or ‘hacks’ that exploit our decision-making. We tend to choose the default option (status quo bias), we tend to follow the pack (herd mentality), and we suck at evaluating our choices when they’re in comparison with alternatives (anchoring).

We love the taste or idea of freedom, but we also recognise there are barriers to us making good and rational decisions when we’re left to our own devices.

The libertarian inside of me is tempted to say: who cares? Irrationality and poor decision-making are a legitimate form of freedom and a meaningful expression of individual choice. The more sensible side of me would pose: if a person took a fatal drug due to false information provided about its properties, is that person’s decision a legitimate expression of their freedom, or are they the hapless victims of a fraud-induced murder?

Libertarian paternalism recognises the inherent problems with how our human brain works – and flips them on their head. Coined by behavioural economist Richard Thaler and legal scholar Cass Sunstein, they propose that libertarian paternalism is paternalism in the sense that “it tries to influence choices in a way that will make choosers better off, as judged by themselves and libertarian in the sense that it aims to ensure that “people should be free to opt out of specified arrangements if they choose to do so”. The primary mechanism by which this ideology is implemented is through the notion of ‘nudges.’

A nudge is any aspect of the choice architecture that alters people’s behaviours in a predictable way without forbidding any options or significantly changing their economic incentives. Nudges are not mandates and must be easy and cheap to avoid. In many cases, nudges use those “brain hacks” that were mentioned before to change thoughts and actions on a subconscious level. For example, setting the default to exploit status quo bias, is a typical example of a libertarian paternalism policy. Countries that have an “opt-out” system for voluntary organ donation experience dramatically higher levels of organ donation consent than countries with an opt-in system. Austria, with an opt-out system, has a consent rate of 99.98%, while Germany, with a very similar culture and economic situation but an opt-in system, has a consent rate of only 12 percent.

I like to think of it as paternalism, but where you don’t know you’re being tricked into doing the ‘right’ thing – or what the government wants you to do. The illusion of freedom is maintained as people feel the choices, they make are truly their own.

Immediately, this sounds very pernicious. Isn’t it manipulation if the government is tricking you into making socially optimal choices? And worst of all, doesn’t this take away the very self-awareness of people to know that they’re being coerced – and, by extension, their ability to resist and rebel and fight back?

The cynical paternalist might respond by pointing to the various ways we’re already coerced in society. From a young age, our mouldable brains are influenced by the environment around us (FOLLOW THE RULES!!); we’re often held back by the limitations of human biology and various cognitive dysfunctions. If the definition of freedom relies upon the complete absence of external influences on our behaviour, freedom is an impossibility to attain.

However, if the definition of freedom is the ability to choose otherwise, libertarian paternalism may very well be a legitimate framework. Although it may make it hard, or even near impossible, to choose the alternative option, opting out is still a feasible choice. And even if you don’t, it gives people the nice feeling that their decisions are indeed autonomous. Isn’t that good enough?

THIS NEEDS TO STOP…

Maybe The Real Ohio Are The Friends We Mewed Along The Way…

M. J. Kim

I MIGHT ACTUALLY LOSE IT. See, every night, I seem to knock four quick times on the door of unhappiness, and I think it’s finally taken its toll on me. Night after night, I scroll through reels, and every morning, I wake up to the overwhelming sense of dread that my brain has atrophied once again. I am a husk of what I used to be. Whenever I hear “skibidi” or, heavens forbid, “sigma”, my chest heaves with convulsive laughter, tears of joy streaming down my face like rivers of anguish. Every chuckle, guffaw, chortle, snigger, hoot and titter pierces through the veil of my sanity, a reminder of my own pitiful state.

There is no doubt that you’ve noticed it too. Children appear to be getting dumber, or at the very least, literacy and expression, and a sense of humour, appear to be declining rapidly with each successive generation. To see what I mean, I’ve compiled a list of modern vernacular. Try to understand even one modicum of what is being said (or try not to laugh if you’re like me!!!):

“W rizz skibidi toilet L sigma level 3 gyatt adin ross stream among us sussy grimace shake in ohio, this content is very educational Mr Beast fanum tax kai cenat max prestige griddy reddit funny story only at miller grove…”

Most people will see this and naturally point to YouTube shorts, Instagram Reels, or TikTok as the main perpetrators. Now, before you call me a “sussy imposter” and “fanum tax” my right to speech, there might be more to this “goofy ohio brainrot” than being a product of some global IQ shortage.

“I opened myself up to the gentle indifference of the world. Finding it so much like myself – so like a brother, really – I felt that I had been happy and that I was happy again.”

– Albert Camus, The Stranger.

Why is there anything at all? Why do terrible things happen to good people? Why am I here, now? Albert Camus (SIGMA ALERT🚨🚨🚨), building upon the predecessors of thought that are nihilism and existentialism, recognised a paradox in the human condition. That is, human beings are hungry for meaning and purpose, but powerless to find it in a universe that is unpredictable and apathetic. By recognising the nonsensical nature of life on earth and surrendering to the harshness of existence, there exists a particular liberation that comes from continuing to live in spite of this. But I don’t write this to offer you my trite analysis of Albert Camus’ novel The Stranger from my studies in Year 12 English (thanks NESA). Surprisingly, this philosophy is making its profound relevance to the modern audience known in its comeback within the dumpster fire that is known as social media.

Nonsensical and dark humour has been around since the dawn of time, and art and fiction are known to tend towards surrealism during times of crisis. For example, Dadaism emerged after WW1, questioning the conventional premises and infrastructure of art at the time in order to create ‘absurd’ works that challenged societal norms and expectations. Similarly after WW2, through the Theatre of the Absurd, writers challenged structures of linear storytelling and sought to denounce the absurdity of the human condition. In 1976, Richard Dawkins coined the term ‘meme’, a unit of cultural transmission, or a self-replicating chunk of information. With the onset of the digital age, the exploration of the human condition has become more prominent through such memes, particularly as the first generation born with phones in their hands begins to emerge.

Growing up in the absurdity of a post-9/11 world, living through the 2008 recession and the COVID-19 pandemic, whilst also facing the seemingly insurmountable tsunami of issues that lay ahead of us, such as climate change or rising costs of living, Gen Z has taken to coping with their existential uncertainties through a new avenue. But the accessibility of smart technology coupled with social media has hit the world hard and fast. There’s something to be said about how the present is always the craziest, and most nonsensical period of history, particularly as problems become increasingly complex. As these changes impact primarily the youth, adaptations are necessary in response to this chaos. Without adequate education and research in place to help assimilate individuals into the digital world, the more confused, isolated and overwhelmed individuals have become, and the more they have taken to Internet culture as a means of processing the absurdity of life through humour and irony.

In its explanation of Gen Z humour, Insider cited the “grimace shake” trend that went viral last year. TikTok users filmed themselves drinking McDonald’s purple milkshake, before abruptly cutting to clips of the same individuals incapacitated on the ground in eerily empty locations. Like most trends nowadays, the non-sequitur is the punchline. Absurdist philosophy pervades modern humour, and the futility of trying to explain these ultimately meaningless jokes is what makes internet absurdism so funny. It’s quite fitting, then, that the “One must imagine Sisyphus happy” meme originates from an essay by absurdist writer Albert Camus. One must also consider whether we’ve gone too far, as our attempts to satirise a meaningless reality inevitably contributes to our perception of its absurdity.

Whilst I don’t think we’ll be analysing Instagram Reels in English any time soon, the fortuitous rise of absurdist philosophy in social media as a coping mechanism is certainly an interesting one, the value of which shouldn’t be overlooked. That being said, the next Year 7 I overhear saying anything remotely ‘absurd’ might just be the end of me…

No Country for Old Films

Page to Picture Part 2 – No Country for Old Men

J. K. Tang

WHY DO WE FORGET OLD FILMS? As I venture deep into the catacombs of cinema, I see films branding the names of famous novels and plays, each bearing their own intermedial expectations. It was the 2007 Academy Award Winner for Best Picture, Coen’s No Country For Old Men (2007), that brought its two hour runtime into my intermedial spotlight. Through Bardem’s soulless gaze, I saw the unsettling mystery materialise Cormac McCarthy’s 2005 postmodern novel onto our screen. In their depictions of traditionalist concerns of modernity, the sheriff, the outlaw, and Chigurh, each wear the three faces of time: Sheriff Ed Tom Bell as the past, Outlaw Moss as the present and Chigurh as the inevitable future. With McCarthy’s novel resting by my popcorn, I compel myself to journey between the border of page and picture.

The Sheriff

Under Tommy Lee Jones’ introspective performance, Sheriff Bell immerses us into the desert scape of the U.S-Mexico border in Texas in 1980. Flavouring the waking page of the novel, Coen’s script brings the notion of “old-time sheriffs never even w[earing] a gun”, suggesting the complacency of our pasts. This self-critical discourse provokes the quality of past films as one “can’t help but wonder how they would’ve [received] these times”.

Furthermore, Coen’s fade-in and fade-outs, from the desert-night to desert-dawn and onward to the desert-day, pull us towards the imminent threat of the postmodern evil, the future, Anton Chigurh.

The Outlaw

In Josh Brolin’s portrayal of Llewelyn Moss, we begin to see ourselves, the contemporary audience, to be opportunist desert-bugs gnawing at the spectacle of cinematic violence and profanity. As if we press ‘PAUSE’ amidst a drug-war, the blue-collar simpleton roams and surveys for the necessary satisfaction to individual desires, in his case, the desire for wealth.

Through a series of close-up and subjective shots, Moss’ on-screen surveyance of the scene mirrors McCarthy’s excessively elaborative voice, universalising our frantic need for perceptive reason in pursuit of satisfaction. In this, we are torn between our perception and actions, forcing us to choose for our futures… Coen and McCarthy tell us that we often choose money.

Ultimately, this static, lifeless frame emphasises our agency in the present, where we can pivot our pasts towards the desired future. Or can we? Is there something out there to pivot for us? Is there something out there to punish us for what we choose?

Chigurh

Psychopathy is a combination of cold-hearted violence.

To kill without remorse.

In Samuel Leistedt’s Psychopathy and the Cinema (2014), the Belgian psychiatry professor sought to find cinema’s most accurate depiction of psychopathy. Over the span of 400 movies, he crowned Bardem’s Anton Chigurh, in this film, as the most realistic psychopath. How and why is he a psychopath?

HOW:

As our ‘inevitable future’, each of his killings occurs under immense disregard and rejection of emotional normalcy.

Close-up shots hold him convicted of absolute apathy.

Medium shots capture the stillness and precision of his body language in his unstoppable feats of violence.

WHY:

No Country for Old Men is a cautionary tale on how the unforgiving force of modernity is the reaper of past films and novels. Chigurh is this psychopathic shell that forces the contemporary to take responsibility for their autonomous actions. Thus, enforcing creative integrity for writers past, present and future.

Choose wisely or face “a true and living prophet of destruction.”

Michelin Star Movies Pt.3

The Highest Standard Of Film

C. D. Michel

THE TERM IS COMING TO AN END. Assignments and exams have all finished up. So, it seems fitting that I should extend the sequel to my first article and make it a trilogy. In case you haven’t read ‘Part 1’ or ‘Part 2’ (which I assume is most of you), I will remind you of the criteria for a Michelin star: A Michelin Star is awarded to the best restaurants that consistently have “quality ingredients… distinct flavours… and expertly crafted dishes”. So, for the third time I’ll be awarding movies Michelin Stars for their immaculate flavours, ingredients, and qualities.

It only feels right to start one of these articles by praising Christopher Nolan and his work. Inception (2010) is a journey through space and time. The plot is so complex, powerfully challenging our conceptions of dreaming. Not only is the plot mind-bending, but the film is also world-bending (sorry, that was a terrible joke iykyk). In all seriousness, though, the cinematography brings this film to life; despite clearly being unrealistic, the CGI isn’t tacky, but instead jaw-dropping. If you want a subtle taste of the movie’s greatness without watching the whole thing, I highly recommend listening to the soundtrack, especially Time by Hans Zimmer, which truly encapsulates the film in all its greatness.

If you want to get ahead in Year 11 English, I highly recommend Blade Runner (1982). If we exclude watching Macbeth in Year 10, Blade Runner is the best prescribed English text. It’s thrilling and exciting. It’s like a two-hour David Attenborough documentary, except instead of watching lions hunt gazelle, it’s Harrison Ford hunting the replicants. Furthermore, with so much talk about “Sigma this…, and Alpha that…, I’m sure you would enjoy listening to Roy Batty’s final speech ‘Tears in the Rain,’ which pretty much encapsulates this contemporary notion. And who knows, if you enjoy watching Blade Runner (1982), go on and watch its sequel, Blade Runner 2049 (2017), which I’ve heard is equally as good, if not better.

Rick Deckard

If you haven’t seen UP (2009), what were you doing with your childhood… This movie has it all: A romantic overture, flying houses, an evil villain scarred from his past, and talking dogs. How can a movie get any better when it has talking dogs? Not to mention, the soundtrack is phenomenal and memorable. Married Life and Stuff We Did by Michael Giacchino brings emotion to this film, which is often missing in kids’ films alike.

While it’s undoubtedly tacky, Nerve (2016) is a fun watch. It’s one of those 2010’s dystopian films, which is very Hunger Games and Maze Runner-esque. Being a satirical exaggeration of the kids’ game, Truth or Dare, this film is an easy watch, but at the same time, it is always interesting and never dull. The film is visually dynamic; one moment, you’re in a neon night rave, and the next, you’re on top of a crane in NYC. This gives your eyes a rest, unlike many other adventure films, which are non-stop and high-intensity. Overall, a good movie.

While going through possible movies to put in this article, M. Night Shyamalan’s Old (2021) is a no-brainer. To be completely honest, I don’t know how I haven’t talked about it sooner. This is one of the most underrated films I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, its rating is horrible, but I guarantee you will enjoy it. The deeper meaning of this film is so intelligently intertwined with the plot that you don’t even realise it’s there until the denouement. Every character is different, and their individual quirks accentuate the already interesting plot. If you watch anything in this article, please watch Old.

Old’s undeservingly poor reviews.

If you’re looking for a thriller, Jigsaw (2017) is my go-to. It brings a violent twist to escape rooms, accompanied by a psychologically demented Game Master. If you ‘would like to play a [petrifying, spine-chilling] game’ with John Kramer, I highly recommend Jigsaw. However, just a warning – this movie is not for the faint of heart.

If you don’t want to listen to my recommendations, that’s all good. But please listen to me when I say don’t watch Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins (2023). I didn’t think that Waititi could make a bad movie, so I sat through the entire two hours. It was cringy and predictable. I think I’ve seen twenty movies with the same plot about a bad sports team gaining a new coach who doesn’t want to be there, and then through the power of love and self-determination, they achieve greatness. The jokes were repetitive. And in writing this, I just don’t want anyone to have to suffer through that film and waste two hours of their life on garbage.

Sporting Markets

The Free Market And The Salary Cap

T. G. George

IN THE ECONOMICS CLASS of the great Mr Wells, you are taught to assess the advantages and disadvantages of the market-based economy compared to a planned economy. The freedoms of the open market that invite effective allocation of resources, or the intervention of the government that provides fiscal support and … you’ll get the gist come Year 11 economics.

I’d like to focus on a different discussion of markets. The two defining markets of the sporting world.

Free market

In both sport and economics, you never quite achieve a completely free market. The closest thing we’ve got is in football. I will specifically look at the English Premier League (EPL).

In the EPL, the amount teams can spend is essentially limitless. For most clubs, the only preventing factor is the price of oil. However, even if the pumps are overflowing, these clubs do not have complete liberty. There is Financial Fair Play (FFP), which forces clubs to pay transfer fees, salaries, and tax bills on time. This bureaucratic framework consists of other rules, such as caps on wages, transfers, and agents’ fees at 70percent of revenue. This may seem restricting, yet within this structure, teams like Chelsea can spend over £1 billion on transfers… in a single year. Even if FFP does come scratching at your neck, a strong legal team can brush them off – just ask Man City.

Manchester City FC

Salary cap

The salary cap in the sporting world is, in a way, a socialist approach. If not already implied in the name, a salary cap is where a limit is placed on how much a team can spend on players. The paragon of salary caps in sports are the top US sporting leagues, such as the NBA, NFL, and NHL. Other sporting leagues, such as the NRL, operate under this system, but with a cap of around $10 million, compared to $224 million in the NFL. Nonetheless, the principle is the same, where the economic power to entice players is equal, and higher revenue teams cannot achieve an oligopoly.

Johnny Manziel Money Celebration

So, which is better?

Before I compare the two, it is worth noting that a league like the EPL, or all of European football for that matter, would be highly unlikely to introduce a salary cap. If it were to be enforced within a singular league, such as the EPL, the top players would simply be lured by the lucrative contracts offered by large clubs in La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, or even the Saudi Pro League. This would decrease the quality of football in the EPL, making their clubs less competitive in UEFA competitions and hence eliminating the largest cultural export for the UK. On a worldwide scale, a salary cap would be a logistical nightmare, with the contracts of thousands of registered professionals having to be monitored.

Football Leagues on a European Map

The obvious advantage of the salary cap system is the equality between teams. There is a level playing field where even small market teams from Green Bay, Wisconsin, can compete with teams from New York City. In contrast, in the EPL, you have the ‘Big 6’, which consistently poach the top talents from less financially secure clubs, seemingly preventing any chance at competition. Even within this Big 6, there is a depletion of competition, with Manchester City being champions five of the last six seasons. Since 1992 (the inaugural EPL season), there have been sixteen different teams to win the Super Bowl, and only six different teams to be crowned champions of the Premier League. Evidently, the competitiveness of leagues operating a salary cap is superior, inciting the excitement, unpredictability, and contest that makes sport so enjoyable.

Of course, it would be unfair to dismiss the intense and exhilarating competition of the EPL, which is also enhanced by things such as a relegation system, an entirely new discussion in itself. The absence of a salary cap has been an incredibly fruitful and prosperous system for European football. However, based on the competitiveness that the salary cap brings, my verdict is that it is the better sporting market system.

Wemby

The Greatest Basketball Prospect Of All Time

A. J. Baker

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA. A NAME ALMOST ALL OF YOU ARE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH BY NOW. Whether you are a basketball fan or not, it is almost certain that you have heard about the sport’s newest superstar. He even managed to get a mention in Mr Ng’s chapel teaching. In response to scoring g forty points and twenty rebounds, a feat only achieved by Shaquille O’Neil as a rookie, I have been inspired to share why Wemby could be the greatest basketball prospect ever.

For those of you who are oblivious to his recent exposure… let me explain it. Essentially, Victor Wemanyama or Wemby is a 7-foot 4-inch French basketball player who is currently playing his rookie season in the NBA. The reason he is receiving so much publicity is due to his idiosyncratic talent and genetic gifts. Considering he is so incredibly tall, it would be expected for him to be lacking in other areas like coordination or shooting. This, however, could not be further from the truth – hence, the excitement about this prospect. Currently, Wemby is averaging twenty-one points, eleven rebounds, 3 assists and a whopping 3.5 blocks per game. In context, this is a better statline than LeBron James, who is regarded as the best Rookie this century and arguably the greatest player of all time.

Currently, Wembanyama is predicted to be awarded the Defensive Player of the Year and almost certainly the Rookie of the Year. Winning both awards is extremely rare; however, he deserved it as he displays tenacious defence, having an impact statistically and on opponent shot selection. His height and presence alone discourage offence from taking interior, high-percentage field goals, instead forcing players to take difficult perimeter shots.

Victor Wembanayama on Draft Night

In comparison to other players, statistically, Wemby does not deserve the ‘glazing’ from fan accounts made by 11-year-olds. Although he is a great player statistically, we all know there is more to sport than stats. However, the following four reasons are sure to convince you as to why Wemby could actually be the greatest prospect of all time, earning him the nickname of ‘the Alien.’

Firstly, he has an unmatched game awareness unlike any other player. Considering he has transitioned from a French basketball league with slightly modified rules, just from watching a subpar Spurs game, you would assume Wemby had been playing in the NBA for longer than five months. This obviously cannot be tracked statistically but is obvious when viewing his highlight reel.

Secondly, he is on a losing team. The San Antonio Spurs (at the time of authoring this article) have won 18 of their 74 games so far this season, giving them the third worst record in the entire league. I am positive that if Victor were on a winning team with players who are looking to pass him the ball, his statline would only improve. Over the next few years, the Spurs will look to build a team around the superstar, aiding in his growth.

Thirdly, Victor Wembanyama, unlike most NBA players, has a great attitude towards the game and is constantly looking to improve. He is not focused on the money he is earning but hungry for a championship. Often, players look to blame game officials or teammates when they are losing. However, in the Spurs’ highly unsuccessful season, I have never seen Wemby argue or lose his temper. This is a vital asset for sporting success and will most definitely facilitate his development.

Finally, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich placed a minutes restriction on Wemby after an injury scare in a game against the Houston Rockets. For the vast majority of the season, he has only played 28 minutes per game. If he were to play an extra ten or even fifteen minutes, it is almost scary to imagine what he could achieve. He has an incredible points per minute ratio, placing him at 13th overall in the league. We saw this when he played 38 minutes in an overtime battle against the Knicks and scored forty points.

Over the next few seasons, when Wemby receives some better teammates, the Spurs return to their 2014 prime and Coach Popovich eliminates his minute restrictions, it will be exciting to see his game development. With this in mind, I am certain that in the years to come, Wemby will only get better and possibly even become the best. This is why Victor Wembenyama is the best NBA prospect of all time. Next time you procrastinate doing your maths homework, let me encourage you to open YouTube and watch some Wemby highlights. I can assure you that it will never cease to amaze you.

Victor Wembanyama blocking Miami guard Jamal Cain.

Surely, I’m Not Addicted…

Or Maybe I am?

H. A. G. Longstaff

SOMETHING WENT SUDDENLY AND HORRIBLY WRONG for adolescents in the early 2010s. Rates of depression and anxiety in the United States, fairly stable in the 2000s, rose by more than 50% from 2010 to 2019. The suicide rate rose 48% for adolescents aged 10 to 19. For girls aged 10-14, it rose 131%.

The problem was not limited to the USA, with similar data in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and Canada. It now seems clear that Generation Z (those born after 1996) are suffering from anxiety, depression, self-harm, and related disorders at levels higher than any generation for which we have data.

American social psychologist Professor Jonathan Haidt of New York University’s Stern School, both in an article in ‘The Atlantic’ and his new book ‘The Anxious Generation’ argues that the new phone-based childhood that took shape roughly 12 years ago has rewired childhood is making young people sick, and is blocking their progress to flourishing in adulthood.

Generational Researcher Jean Twenge agrees that phones are at fault. In an August 2023 ‘Times’ article, she argues that generational changes were usually gradual, often taking decades to manifest (hence, we can clearly define the ‘baby boomer’ or ‘Gen X’ generations). But now the changes have become sudden. Teens were spending a lot less time with each other face-to-face socially. Then there’s also a big increase in teens saying they felt lonely, that they felt left out. They felt like they couldn’t do anything right, that they felt like their life wasn’t useful, and that they weren’t enjoying life. And those last three are classic symptoms of depression.

Australian lawyer and social researcher David Gillespie has been delving into the complex business of the teenage brain. This is well covered in an ABC Conversations 2019 podcast, “How the iPhone rewrites the teenaged brain”, which I had the great misfortune to be forced to listen to on a long drive to Byron Bay. Gillespie says the usual teenage compulsions like smoking, drinking and drug taking are in steep decline, as teenagers are now more likely to seek a pleasure hit from their screens. But the games and social media apps they use are deliberately engineered to be addictive, consciously designed, and cunningly calculated to deliver dopamine hits triggering the reward centres of the brain. Instagram is damaging the neural pathways of a generation, shortening attention spans, and reducing resilience.

So, what needs to be done? Haidt argues that we need a dramatic cultural correction, including four new norms:

● No smartphones before high school.

● No social media before 16.

● Phone-free schools.

● More independence, free play, and responsibility in the real world

Others feel that this is impractical and unrealistic, something that could only be dreamed up in the ivory towers of an academic institution.

What’s your experience? Is the phone the first thing you look at in the morning and the last thing at night? Do you talk to friends on the train/bus, or are you on Instagram and Snapchat? Is your phone beside you as you study, calling out for attention?

Maybe you’re not addicted. Or maybe you are?