Afternoons for Thursday 1 December 2016

1:10 First song:  Barnaby Weir and friends perform 'Replay in My Heart' live

Barnaby Weir, Rob Joass, Al Norman & Kim Bonnington are all performing tonight at a fundraiser Christmas Concert for the Downtown Community Ministry.

1:20 Helping Teachers Help Autistic Children

An award-winning book is offering help for teachers caring for distressed autistic children in the classroom. And it says the use of calming sensory rooms, or gardens, are more successful than the use seclusion rooms. Minister of Education, Hekia Parata, has revealed 17 schools across New Zealand have used seclusion practices this year, and there are plans to outlaw use of the rooms.

The book is called Autism Spectrum Disorder in Aotearoa New Zealand: Promising practices and interesting issues. And one contributor, Jenny Tippett, says the rooms exacerbates negative behaviours, and much more teacher education is needed to cope with the complexities of Autism. Jenny works as a learning and behaviour resource teacher in New Plymouth, and has a Postgraduate Diploma in Specialist Education, with an Endorsement in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

1:35 World Chess Championships

It's estimated that about one billion people have followed the battle for the World Chess Championship title today. The show-down was between Crimean Sergey Karjakin, and Norwegian Magnus Carlsen. It was the first time in 20 years that New York City got to play host. Paul Spiller is the president of the Oceania Chess Confederation.

1:40 Music Review - Russell Baillie 

Music reviewer Russell Baillie talks about The Monkees concert and the new Rolling Stones album.

1:40 Favourite album: Interpol: Antics

2:10 Theatre Critic: John Smythe

John is the Managing Editor and senior theatre critic with theatreview,  The New Zealand Performing Arts Review & Directory operated as a trust  to review professional performing arts throughout New Zealand.  Today he reviews Lorae Parry's play about the 1912 Waihi Miners Strike "Scarlet & Gold.

2:20 Economics with Shamubeel Eaqub

New Zealand is not prepared for an ageing population. The baby boomers hitting retirement, we are having fewer babies and are living longer, all of which means health and super costs will soar.

Economist, Shamubeel Eaqub says if nothing changes on taxes, and the way we spend, then we will become a banana republic.

2:35 The history of School C

Most New Zealanders aged between 30 and 87 who were educated in this country sat School Certificate or 'School C'.  It was scrapped 15 years ago but its influence remains and many New Zealanders over 30 still compare the current assessment system, NCEA, to what they experienced before 2001.

Historian Grant Morris looks back on School C

3:10 Masterpieces: Susan Holmes

Renowned fabric artist Susan Holmes is holding a blast-from-the-past exhibition showcasing designs from the 70s to now for Objectspace's Masters of Craft exhibition series.

She talks art and craft and her love for the work of Colin McCahon.

3:25 The Expats: Gill South in Berkeley

Gill South lives in Berkeley, California with her family and blogs about life in the US as the mother of teenage boys, including skyrocketing house prices and how to get ahead in your career when you are over 40.

3:30 This Way Up: Real Christmas trees

Monica and Paul Mallinson grow real Christmas trees in rural Wairarapa.

Every year they sell nearly 1,000 different firs, spruces and pines all grown on their 4 and a half acre section...along with some more obscure varieties too. They are just heading into their busiest time of year when people come to buy the tree they want to decorate in about 24 days’ time, a few weeks when they make pretty much all their money. This Way Up's Simon Morton went to visit them.

3:45 The Panel Pre-Show

4:05 The Panel with