Many thanks for printing Ken Boston’s response to David Hastie’s article (”You think there’s no divide in school funding? Take this history lesson“, September 15). Boston rightly points out a huge and widening divide between public and private schools and their government funding. Hastie doesn’t see this as a great divide but “a new Australian way”. I think for the sake of equality, this is a very un-Australian way of thinking. Mark Nugent, Lugarno
The school funding debate is far from settled.Credit: Fairfax photographic
In the interests of levelling or even providing playing fields, perhaps the best thing to do for equal opportunities in education for all is to stop all private school government funding until all public schools have the same facilities, the same technology resourcing, the same teaching and ancillary staffing levels as well as the same access to international programmes. Once that is achieved, then back to the “status quo”. Surely, the private education sector couldn’t complain about providing equality in education for the plebs, as it is the plebs who provide the taxes that give so generously to them. Lee-Ann Groblicka, Turramurra
Ken Boston makes it eminently clear that the current school funding model fails to ensure that “all citizens have an equal chance at the best life possible”. The community is rightly concerned that the discrepancy in funding in favour of private schools is simply not fair. It is exacerbating social inequity and threatening our social cohesion. The core value that must drive education funding is that all children should be given equal educational opportunities regardless of family wealth, socio-economic status, geographic location, race or religion. As Boston concludes, systems like those in Europe are superior to “our unique and absurd arrangement”. Warren Marks, Hill Top
It’s always infuriating, as a former public school teacher, to read the list of sporting facilities, building programs and extracurricular options available at the so-called “elite” private schools. In addition to government funding, these schools also benefit from donations from parents who can claim them on their tax returns. I’ve long held the belief that if our politicians were required to send their offspring to state schools, there would be a dramatic change in funding. Kudos to Anthony Albanese and Tanya Plibersek, who chose their local public schools for their kids. Jennifer McKay, Ashbury
Bravo, Ken Boston, for telling it like it is. Perhaps if all members of parliament, who are public servants after all, had to send their offspring to public schools, then we might see the increase in funding the public system desperately needs and deserves. Diane Dennis, Epping
If well-off retirees are to be expected to pay more for home care, thus being less of a drain on the public purse, it could also be reasonably argued that wealthy private schools should also be asked to contribute by selling off some of their vast, empty acreages for the same reason. And- just a thought - there’d be far more room for public housing and children’s playgrounds as well! Corin Fairburn Bass, Turramurra
A++ to Ken Boston for his clear and succinct analysis of school funding. Judith Campbell, Drummoyne
Must try harder
What more proof do we need that funding is, in fact, the great divide in education (“Teacher shortage hits maths students as programs end”, September 16). Professor Watt’s survey shows us that schools with fewer resources are less able to provide maths teachers, while an OECD report states that Australia’s maths results show that “low achievers became weaker”. Carol Witt, Boronia Park
Maths equations Credit: iStock
An interesting equation. On one side, maths teaching plummets, the maths retraining scheme cancelled and the state’s flagship of engineering excellence, the Powerhouse Museum reduced to the power of zero. The formula is alarming, and the solution clear to all except the state government who don’t do maths. Peter Farmer, Northbridge
What a shambles emerging in education! Maths teachers can earn up to 30 per cent more in the private education system and double in the corporate world. Looking for reasons why test results are declining should begin with an analysis of why teaching cannot attract the full complement of fully trained and experienced staff, and it leads to the doorstep of staff salaries and ongoing professional development. Both of these have been slashed. Vanessa Tennent, Oatley
Here we go again; this time, there are not enough maths teachers, so other staff are put on the spot to try to teach subjects that are not in their training. This has happened so often in the last 50 years. Why can’t the education department attract talented people to teach STEM subjects? Marjie Williamson, Blaxland
Garages rock
Due to the population/property speculation stack and pack insanity, kids have also lost access to the garage, that after-school sanctuary where children learn to dismantle, analyse, design, create and repair (and tidy up) (Letters, September 16). This realisation hit forcibly when our son undertook endless laboratory assessments required by engineering studies. Enduring friendships were created with female lab partners, who gravitated towards him because they had never “played in the garage”. How wonderful to see that confidence shared when one girl spoke of “summoning lightning bolts into existence”! Ronald Elliott, Sandringham (Vic)
One reason the suburbs were so safe for kids to wander around up to the 1970s was the ubiquity of stay-at-home women. Until then, most adult women did not work or have a car of their own. They spent most days at home or in their suburb, walking to the shops. A child in danger could seek refuge in almost any house (and the doors would normally be unlocked during the day) or run up to someone in the street, watering their garden. The entry of the female cohort into the workforce has been a boon in all ways but this – some places have a ghost town aspect on weekdays. The kids playing in the bushland creek nowadays might have no adult to turn to if danger threatens. Lance Rainey, Rushforth
One solution to the lack of open space in our cities would be to allow access to public (and private?) school grounds outside school hours. In Scandinavia, school play equipment and grounds are not fenced and available to anyone wishing to use them. In addition, most apartment blocks have at least one playground attached to them (provided and, in some cases, maintained by the developer). William Roberts, Randwick
Vale Lex
Sad news to hear we have lost another great creative theatrical character (“Kingswood Country star Lex Marinos dies aged 75”, September 14). His wonderful sense of humour, generously lavished with doses of droll self-effacement, hit the spot in our multicultural nation. I fondly remember laughing out loud, listening to him on Radio 702’s Thank God it’s Friday programs hosted by journalist-writer Richard Glover. His clever monologues and humoristic observations tickled the fancy of our multicultural audiences. He’ll be sorely missed in our humble household, as I am sure he’ll be likewise in so many other Aussie abodes. Vale Lex Marinos, the great Greek creative wag from Wagga Wagga. Cleveland Rose, Dee Why
Lex Marinos, back left, in Kingswood CountryCredit: Fairfax Media
Let’s hear it for Clover
We shouldn’t have worried (“Clover Moore claims victory, begins sixth term as lord mayor”, September 16). Sydneysiders know they’re on to a good thing voting for Clover Moore. When you consider her unique commitment to actually governing for the people rather than her own interests, the improvements she has made to city life in accordance with admirable principles and planning – the beautiful green spaces, community events, affordable housing, libraries, light rail, pedestrian facility, entertainment facility, bike lanes, etc., her policies to protect the environment and fight global warming, her obvious competence (she even managed to nominate on time!) and enthusiasm in the role - and so much Moore – it’s hard to imagine why they would vote for anyone else. Bravo, Clover! Patricia Lemaire, Redfern
Gearing is key to property issue
Ross Gittins writes again about the conflict between wealth accumulation and housing availability for people not lucky enough to have the Bank of Mum and Dad or inherited wealth (“Housing crisis will never be fixed if it keeps enriching us”, September 16). He could well have added another factor – poorly targeted government incentives.
Why would any government concerned about the most efficient use of tax revenue fund the churning of existing housing stock in an overheated market? The provision of negative gearing and capital gains tax discounts costs more than $10 billion a year and most is spent on existing property. One-third of new lending by banks is to investors rather than homeowners. This diversion of foregone tax revenue could be used to fund affordable housing, health care or public education. Certainly, it should not fund real estate churn. Economists have been cited as saying the effect of negative gearing and CGT discounts has a negligible effect on real estate prices. I find this hard to believe, but eventually irrelevant because it is poor public policy. Why incentivise demand in a market constrained by supply?
Beneficiaries of these concessions vigorously oppose their abolition as arbitrary and discriminatory even though more than half of the benefit goes to the top 10 per cent of the wealthy, according to the Australia Institute. How can the government continue to ignore the politics of a poorly targeted public policy that appears to benefit wealth accumulation rather than new housing supply? Victor Boase, Narraweena
Trawling through Australian Bureau of Statistics data, the average floor space of housing per person has jumped from 25 square metres to about 100 square metres since World War II. The average size of new houses is the second-largest in the world and the average person has as much floor space as an entire family did after World War II. Do people not think that this contributes to housing affordability? The rumpus rooms, theatre rooms, multiple en suites etc? As Gittins suggests, perhaps it’s time to have a public parliamentary inquiry into the costs of developing land, if for no other reason than to find out how it can be done more cheaply. Peter Woof, Mollymook
Gittins claims that house prices took off about 50 years ago. He is correct, as usual. In the 1970s, the Herald’s Saturday real estate section grouped all “prestige” homes advertised for sale. The criterion for inclusion? A home worth at least $80,000. Barry Wooldridge, Harden
Wind warning
When I arrived home from a walk today, I picked up a beautiful, tiny, intricate bird’s nest that had been blown onto my front steps (“Woman killed by tree branch as high winds batter Sydney”, September 16). It was almost identical to the one I found in my backyard a couple of days ago. Although they were both very interesting, I didn’t learn as much from them as I had learnt from the two very large nests that I found in my backyard a couple of weeks ago. This is the first time in my 72 years in Sydney that I have found bird’s nests blown out of trees. Let’s not start getting used to these clear signs. Steve Curran, Randwick
Comely commas
I’m not so concerned about the Oxford comma – grammatically, it’s technically both correct and incorrect (Letters, September 16). I worry more about the “normal” comma, indeed all punctuation, the frequent misplacement or even absence of which is leading us to increasingly poor and misleading communication. The comparative example my journalism students, especially the young women, found particularly relevant was: “Consider this sentence: A woman without her man is helpless. Now consider this: A woman; without her, man is helpless”. Eric Hunter, Cook (ACT)
Commas, Oxford or not, can also save human lives. Think of the difference between “Let’s eat Grandma” and “Let’s eat, Grandma”. John Burman, Port Macquarie
While not an Oxford comma, my favourite proof of the use of commas for clarity is exemplified in these two sentences: The teacher said Johnny was dumb. The teacher, said Johnny, was dumb. Angela Williamson, Exeter
Tied to tradition
It’s a little curious and disappointing to read that Bridget McKenzie doesn’t “feel it’s necessary to conform to others’ view of what a conservative woman should do, wear, or say” yet has no problem conforming to the view that a tie and suit will endow her with the same credibility as her male colleagues (“McKenzie suits herself”, September 16). It’s a sad indictment of society that appearance can speak louder than words and even more tragic that the need to do so speaks volumes about the lack of confidence in one’s ability to allow words to speak for themselves. Elizabeth Maher, Fiddletown
Victorian senator Bridget McKenzie wore the same suit three times in the past sitting week. Did anyone notice?Credit: Alex Ellinghausen, Aresna Villanueva
Medal battlelines
Those decrying the removal of medals from army commanders appear not to understand the rationale; those medals were for outstanding leadership, not bravery (Letters, September 16). Commanders both set the culture of the units they command and must ensure that their subordinates obey the laws of armed conflict. When there are multiple instances of likely war crimes – as found in the recent defamation trial – commanders have failed on both accounts. Therefore, the medals were awarded erroneously and should be withdrawn. It is true that decisions and actions taken in conflict are uniquely difficult; that is why the military is held to the standard of the laws of armed conflict, not civil law. Andy Salmons, North Ryde
Vote is precious
Jenna Price gives us all a timely reminder of how lucky we are to have arguably the most democratic system of government in the world and why we should be both grateful and keen to exercise our democratic right (“Angry young men can’t bear a poll”, September 16).
Her “angry young men” moaned about queueing. If you are an African-American in a Republican-controlled state in the United States, expect to queue for hours in November as voting centres are deliberately limited to reduce voting in Democrat-supporting areas. Voting in Australia is compulsory and long may it be so. As Price points out, our angry young men should understand their responsibilities and be grateful. In ancient Athens, citizens who failed to participate in the democratic process were chased and struck with red dye-tipped whips. Failure to exercise one’s democratic right was seen as shameful and deserving of humiliation. Ken Webb, Epping
- To submit a letter to the Sydney Morning Herald, email letters@smh.com.au. Click here for tips on how to submit letters.
- The Opinion newsletter is a weekly wrap of views that will challenge, champion and inform. Sign up here.