Education: Beyond funding politics, there's the teaching

Former priest Paul Collins ("Catholics revive Labor alliance as government pokes bear on funding", The Age, 4/8) argues that Catholic schools offer an education with "an emphasis on values not found in the state system" which counter-balances the "what's in it for me" syndrome that he thinks permeates government schools.

What are these values that are perceived to be so sadly lacking in our state school system? Could they be honesty, loyalty, compassion, respect – just which ones are our poor state school kids missing out on? As the article is about the Catholic school system exerting as much pressure as possible upon the government in true "what's in it for me" manner it is really a bit rich to be labelling others as lacking values.

Cushla McNamara, Richmond

We don't need to be lectured

Paul Collins asserts that Catholic schools offer an emphasis on values not found in the state system. I feel incensed and insulted on behalf of all the excellent, dedicated teachers in the state system and also all of those students I have observed leaving the system as well-rounded, decent and caring members of society. I am heartily tired of hearing the view that a moral and ethical society is not possible without a Christian base. I am also astonished that someone representing an institution with a hideous record of child abuse can be lecturing the rest of us on morals and ethics.

Dawn Agius, Northcote

Class warfare and entitlement

The audacity of independent school associations in their latest round of veiled threat lobbying for funding is beyond breathtaking. It's true that the Catholic education system should not get any special funding deals. However, this latest campaign reeks of self-entitlement to maintain a privileged position of not losing any funding while dismissing genuine needs-based funding using banal gibes such as "class warfare". If it is class warfare then it's only because they believe that they are of a higher class of funding entitlement to non-independent schools.

Paul Miller, Box Hill South

Promote social justice for state system

Every year I notice in the independent schools education advertisements that sector's commitment to social justice – in part as evidenced by students' participation in the Third World. Similarly, the Catholic sector claims their own commitment to social justice as an aspect of their faith practice. What I have not noted from either sector is any campaign for social justice – as evidenced by equality of resourcing – for schools in the state system.

Will Dunn, Abbotsford

FORUM

Suicide factors

Although my heart goes out to the judicial officers and their families affected by suicide (Good Weekend, 4/8), consider for a moment related professions directly exposed to trauma on a daily basis and unprotected by trappings such a bench, gowns and high remuneration. Professions such as the police, whose work regularly brings them into direct contact with aggressive perpetrators, victims of crime both alive and dead, and various life-threatening situations; or child protection workers, who as poorly paid young graduates investigate child abuse, often in abusers' homes and frequently late into the night.

Judicial officers may "take home the anguish of their decisions", but the fact that blue-collar workers have the highest suicide rates in Australia followed by health professionals suggests that other and probably every occupation has its own toxic cocktail of factors that needs to be identified and mitigated.

Roman Jansen, Mount Eliza

Focus on jobs

While the Coalition argues about coal and black African gangs, out in the real world people are struggling with household debt and getting by each payday ("Pressure at 'tipping point' ", The Age, 6/8). What the government ought to be focused on is the lack of wages growth and long-term job security.

Ross Crawford, Frankston

One-way vision

Tony Wright's article "When the road ahead is just one big traffic jam" (4/8) is a harbinger for our city – an inexorable march towards traffic gridlock and continuing congestion.

If there is no change in policy or a cohesive plan, then we're setting ourselves up for failure. Projected population increases have dramatically exceeded estimates and are on track to reach 8millionby 2050. Infrastructure cannot keep pace with this, including the widening of freeways. We need a vision for what sort of city we want in the next 30 years and beyond. Currently, we're driving down a one-way road towards a gridlocked, car-dependent future.

Dennis O'Connell, Ivanhoe

The feedback loop

I cannot believe anyone suggesting that desalination is a realistic solution to drought (Letters, 6/8). Desalinating and pumping water takes vast amounts of electricity, which at present involves burning vast amounts of coal, thanks to climate denial at the highest levels of government. More coal means more drought, creating an obvious feedback loop.

Roger Thorrowgood, Inverloch

Stop this mockery

What a mockery the AFL is making of the women's comp. My grand-daughter, who's giving her heart and soul to playing our great game, is devastated the season may be reduced to only six games. Let's hope the powers that be reconsider.

Peggy Matthews, Sunbury

The one and only

Tim Soutphommasane's sentiments (Comment, 6/8) and motives are admirable, but I'm sad that "races" continue to be talked about, as if there are many of them. There is only one race, and that is the human one. There are many differences between people – skin colour, facial features, hair, body shape, customs, beliefs, etc – and these are a consequence of groups living in isolation in particular geographical and climatic situations for extremely long periods of time, but there are no "races". The tiny differences in DNA that lead to our physical differences are of no consequence to our common humanity. We should certainly talk about, and act against, "differentism", because suspicion and dislike of unfamiliar others is part of our common human condition, and seems very difficult for us to overcome.

Language is fundamental in communicating accurately and effectively, and it's time the words "race" and "racism" were shown the door. They have twisted our thinking and made it impossible to have fruitful discussions about how we can all get along together without prejudice and hatred.

Don Jordan, Mount Waverley

Business drying up

Small family businesses, often run by emigrant families, continue to struggle or go under due to the roll-out of new Aldi, Coles, Woolworths, McDonald's or Bunnings stores. Whether it's the butcher in Pascoe Vale (Letters, 6/8), a take-away in Tecoma, a hardware store in Frankston or the ubiquitous corner milk bar they are all experiencing their own drought; an unstoppable dwindling of customers and a resultant loss of livelihood. If they were on the land they'd be worthy of cash relief, low-interest loans and charitable donations.

Dennis Richards, Cockatoo

Hard to believe

Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox ("Don't wait for perfection, back energy plan now", The Age, 6/8) attributes our failed history of climate and energy policy to "political players on all sides who rejected the good in favour of what they see as the best". So the Coalition's shameful "Axe the tax" campaign was just them doing their best? Give me a break.

Andrea Bunting, Brunswick

More kindness

Of all the sayings and epithets that I used to hear as a kid growing up in Australia, the one I most admired was "to err on the side of generosity". This advice seems to have fallen on deaf ears when we hear of so many people not qualifying for the NDIS. We keep hearing about people with crippling disabilities who seem to miss out on the assistance they so desperately need that would make such a difference to them and their carers.

As a nation, we seem to have become hardhearted in our government's treatment of asylum seekers, refugees, homeless folks, unemployed young people and even those women who are victims of domestic violence. Too often these people are collectively made to feel like they are rorting the system, or it's their own fault. Misfortune can happen to anyone.

Adam Lindsay Gordon's epithet comes to mind: "Life is mostly froth and bubble. Two things stand like stone. Kindness in another's trouble. Courage in your own."

We can all try a little more kindness. We just might benefit from it, too.

Nick Toovey, Beaumaris

Bring back Joe

No government money to assist the car industry but plenty to support the farming industry in drought-affected areas. I thought that the age of entitlement was over? The governments hand-outs to what are basically private businesses is inconsistent and smells of socialism. Where is Joe Hockey when you need him?

Peter Martina, Warrnambool

Assault on the game

As bad as Andrew Gaff's unprovoked king hit on an unprepared and young opponent that broke the latter's jaw and smashed his teeth, is the subsequent tribal adulation of Gaff from some West Coast fans for that assault. In this case, suspension of Gaff for merely several games would be a travesty of justice. If Gaff doesn't face criminal proceedings, the message is, regarding serious cowardly violence by male Australians, "never mind, boys will be boys", and the AFL will increasingly attract violence-loving spectators and players.

Jennifer Gerrand, Carlton North

Protecting staff

Hate to defend the big supermarkets but maybe the Coles backflip on plastic bags is in order to help protect their staff from abuse? I have heard and witnessed some atrocious abuse of staff over this issue.

Allison Hadfield, Drummond

You have been warned

One thing that would help shoppers move from plastic bag usage would be for supermarkets to erect signs in the carparks and outside entrances to shopping centres reminding shoppers to bring their own bags, as they have done with some success in other countries.

David Parker, Geelong

Ethical bank needed

No, Scott Morrison, it is not the job of bank customers to police the action of banks. When there were rumblings about past unethical conduct by banks it was often dismissed as "bank bashing". Those who voiced their concerns were shut down. And, no Mr Morrison, the average working Australian does not have the time or power to battle banks.

Attempts to shift responsibility on to the customer for the proven gross failings and abuse of power by banks and the sickening culture of greed and entitlement that has been allowed to grow within them is further evidence of the government's gaping disconnect with the electorate it serves. Perhaps it is time to bring back genuine competition in the form of a no-frills government bank that is viable yet not motivated solely by profit and which is answerable to the public, not shareholders.

Emma Borghesi, Mount Eliza

Thick matter

They're going to study dark matter under Stawell ("Dark matter is the new black gold", The Age, 6/8). There's plenty of that walking around above ground and found everywhere. It's known as thick matter.

Margaret Skeen, Point Lonsdale

Embrace the love . . .

After Malcolm Turnbull embraced a tearful woman to comfort her in time of drought, perhaps we can look forward to similar gestures of heart-felt compassion from other senior political figures, perhaps Peter Dutton, David Leyonhjelm, Nigel Scullion, Christian Porter, Simon Birmingham, and/or Christopher Pyne. Not holding breath though.

Rowan Forster, Surrey Hills

. . . and doling it out

I look forward to the Coalition's response to the secure wages drought, with Malcolm hugging someone on Newstart.

Greg Curtin, Blackburn South

AND ANOTHER THING

Politics

Why is it that city politicians on country visits invariably wear felt hats with the widest possible brim irrespective of the season?

Ian Powell, Glen Waverley

Why do farmers continue to vote for political parties that are intent on burning more coal?

Peter Hendrickson, East Melbourne

Did I hear the PM say "the government is a compassionate government"? I must have misheard it.

Glenn Brotchie, Warrnambool

Malcolm Turnbull stated that "we're a government of compassion", but only if you're a white farmer apparently.

Peter Knight, St Arnaud

We haven't heard Malcolm Turnbull trot out the "lifestyle choices line" to the farmers yet.

Joan Segrave Healesville

Footy

Football has suddenly become too exciting for many supporters with all these close finishes. It's time the rules were changed.

Tony O'Brien, South Melbourne

Peter McGill (Letters, 6/8) should have waited until the round finished before talking about a plethora of close finishes in the AFL.

Alan Inchley, Frankston

Could someone please tell the AFL to stop mucking around with the game before they evolve Aussie rules beyond recognition?

Bruce Thomas, St Kilda East

Just where is that wire that footy matches seem to go down to?

Brian Morley, Donvale

Furthermore

The theme of the Garma festival was truth telling. Does this explain why so few politicians attended?

Thos Puckett, Ashgrove

The good news, Tim Soutphommasane (Comment 6/8), is that the PM's dog whistling didn't work in the recent byelections: The bad news is that he thought it would.

Henry Herzog, St Kilda East