The Wire

In Mark Latham’s first speech as opposition leader, he spoke of the need for strong Male role models in schools. Since then, there’s been heated discussion about how to get them there. Much of this has been highly politicized: Are there enough male teachers in schools? Are teacher’s salaries too low? While these are important questions, many people have overlooked the question of ‘what characteristics do good role models have?’ Are rugby players good role models? Or pop stars? Who are these people and why are they important in young people’s lives? Kimberly O’Brien is a child psychologist who runs workshops and seminars on children’s development and she believes role models are extremely important.