Assessment comparison vital

Graeme Lee (Letters, 8/4) believes teachers can be trusted to assess their students accurately. True, but how do we compare schools? Teachers cannot do this. Every year, teachers across the state routinely inflate their assessments when reporting their school-based assessments to the exam authority (VCAA). To counter this, the VCAA compares schools by using the external exam results in each subject for each school and alters the school assessments accordingly. Without external exams, there can be no fair comparison.

Neil Lennie, Box Hill North

Teacher's assessment should be enough

If VCE, in order to acquire an ATAR, drags into 2021, how do schools accommodate both year 12 and incoming preps and all levels in between? And what do colleges of further education do with no first-year students? Every teacher should be able to assess their students accurately, and be able to make that assessment honestly. Faking the assessment achieves nothing other than embarrassment for teacher and student. Abandon the exams, rely on teachers' wisdom and let the academic process roll on. Who knows, we may even find that VCE is a total waste of time.

Peter Valder, Toorak

Casual, relief teachers untapped resource

In the bad old days, Casual Relief Teachers (CRTs) in government schools were farmed out to management by the school councils of the schools in which they worked. Would now be a good time to bring CRTs back under the care and management of the Department of Education and Training so forward planning, for what is going to be a daunting Term 2, is made easier? The government could then tap straight into a back-up army of willing, professional teachers, ready to put up their hands to help with the demands of online learning.

Claire Bauer, Black Rock

'Year 13' should be a year of work

For some time I have been extolling the virtues of a "gap" year for year 13. Already recognised as a "difficult" year for this age group, it would make sense to make it a year of work experience. At the year's end, a strong indication of whether to seek a place in the workforce on completion of studies – or not – would be a much firmer thought in the student's head. "I will need to study to get a good future in this line of work", or "I will need to study to avoid having to do this line of work" would be an easier decision after a taste of what may be the future. In the past, my foremost concerns as a downside to this scenario was that it would require a swing within our cultural set-up. Now I'm sure it could be handled with ease.

Steve Flounders, Kyneton

THE FORUM

Smokers flout the law

I saw a group of smokers standing closely together around an ashtray bin with face masks on. Within the dense plume of smoke, I could see face masks repeatedly donned and doffed, interspersed with deep drags of inhaled nicotine hits. Not only are the nicotine dependent disregarding social distancing rules, but they're deconditioning their lung function and increasing their risk of needing intensive care medicine and mechanical ventilation. As a hospital doctor, I urge police to watch out for those flouting the law in this way.

Dr Joseph Ting, Carina

VicRoads update please

Why is it VicRoads will not update their payment methods to online for club permit renewals? Cheque only is outdated and given the age of many classic car owners, having to front up in person at a VicRoads office is unnecessarily placing them at risk.

Bruce Carruthers, Castlemaine

Premier on point

Premier Daniel Andrews is to be congratulated for his leadership. He has kept the isolation message clear and simple. Of course a learner driver or a lone fisherman is not a risk, but if we make multiple exceptions to the lockdown rules, confusion and grey areas will predominate. Individual police officers may make errors of judgment, but give them a break.

Ralph Frank, Malvern East

Change forest policies

Again this Easter we face high levels of smoke pollution, into the hazardous range, caused by the burning of detritus from logging native forests. Burning is done to rapidly and cheaply clear flammable material, facilitating planting of commercially desirable species. Those with asthma or COVID-19 are seriously threatened by these artificial bushfires. Burning also releases vast amounts of carbon dioxide, bares and sterilises the soil. Successive cycles of clearing, burning and herbicide use are increasing areas of failed regrowth. Quality of water in our streams is damaged by the disturbances. We must use this time of trial to change our forest and catchment policies.

John Poppins, Mount Waverley

Housing policy fail

One of the measures of a civilised society is to provide safe and affordable housing for its citizens. In the crisis being experienced by residential tenants brought on by the pandemic, Australia has failed miserably on this measure. Housing policy must change when we emerge from this period of our history.

Craig Horne, Fitzroy North

Retirees need dividends

It's all very well for the fat cats of APRA to suggest banks cut dividends, which for many self-funded retirees is the primary source of income. Perhaps they would like to see large numbers of retirees becoming eligible to receive the pension and give the budget another blow.

Robin Schokman, Doncaster

AFL fixture not possible

In this time of social distancing, how can the AFL and NRL consider reintroducing their 2020 fixtures. If social distancing is allowing 1.5 metres between individuals, it will be a very odd game with players running around always 1.5 metres from their opponent. It is time both organisations dropped their selfish behaviour and do what the community is being asked to do and that is social distancing.

John Tingiri, Mornington

Asylum seekers neglected

The Prime Minister urges us to "look out for one another" at this time, but his COVID-19 financial assistance plan is disastrous for refugees and asylum seekers, who are excluded from all benefits. Those who have jobs will lose them because the plan incentivises employers to prefer citizens so they can access the JobKeeper allowance. Until about two years ago, people awaiting determination of their applications for protection as refugees received a small allowance. The proposed denial of benefits to asylum seekers will create a tsunami of need for charities already overwhelmed. For the asylum seekers COVID-19 is more likely to be a death sentence as many live in crowded sharehouses and have impaired health from past trauma. Asylum seekers, whether in the community or in detention, should not be sacrificed to the virus.

Geraldine Moore, Hampton

Dangers for airline crew

Airline crew returning from overseas are just as likely to have coronavirus as passengers. Yet the federal government exempts crews from the quarantine mandatory for passengers. Yes, the crews are carrying out essential work but they are not immune, as seen in the recent discovery of 11 Qantas crew members testing positive after returning from Chile ("More flight crew members test positive", 8/4). Quarantine can be considered part of the job of airline crew, and they should be paid for their time in quarantine. This exemption risks undoing the work already done to flatten the curve.

Linda Stern, Alphington

Small employers suffer

With all the safety net arrangements being put in place to assist workers and employers one thing is becoming clear. Small to medium employers without the benefit of expert HR or payroll staff and despite good intentions are finding the new arrangements overly complex and confusing. The interplay between the rapid decline in revenue, existing employment terms and conditions, award requirements, Fair Work directives and new government legislation is causing employers and employees unnecessary extra stress. The ACTU and to some degree the Labor Party has recognised the potential for misinterpretation but are seemingly being ignored.

Robert Bright, Fitzroy

Burn-off warning

I was very alarmed about today's article discussing preemptive bushfire burn-offs around Victoria ("Yarra Valley doctors call for check on air pollution", 8/4). After last season's horror bushfire event in Australia, there is little doubt this is a serious issue and we need to manage the landscape as best we can. However, bushfire burn-offs have a significant impact on those with compromised breathing, such as people with asthma. Asthmatics are at much higher risk of serious complications, including death from COVID-19. I implore the Minister for Environment Lily D'Ambrosio, to postpone all planned burn-offs until the pandemic is over.

Justin Baker, Elsternwick

Cardinal Pell decision

Articles in The Age yesterday have pointed out that Cardinal Pell's conviction has been overturned on an examination of the evidence. While it is true that this is the basis of the rule of law, it does not mean that any of the High Court judges either believed or disbelieved the alleged victim. Even if as human beings they believed him, their job was to uphold the rules of evidence. It is, however, not appropriate for Peter Curtis (Letters, 8/4) to describe Cardinal Pell as "a decent Australian". He put forward the Melbourne Response as a model attempt to respond to victims, but even with good intentions, it seems many victims found it an overwhelming experience trying to seek any sort of acknowledgement or recompense and it was characterised by bureaucracy and gag clauses.

Charlotte Brewer, Shepparton

After reading the two fine articles in yesterday's Age by Jon Faine and Barney Zwartz, I am now reasonably calm about Cardinal Pell's release. Faine put my own thoughts into words suggesting that those with resources get the best legal teams who are then able to explore every possible angle and thus create reasonable doubt, something not available to the ordinary Joe Blow on legal aid. How things have changed since the obligatory poverty of the early Church. John Silvester put the legal angle clearly and I reluctantly agree with him. However, what I find indigestible is a misinterpretation of the High Court's judgment as finding that Pell is innocent. I cannot say with certainty, as the Age Editorial (8/4) implied, that Pell is innocent when at the same time believing totally the testimony of his accuser.

Chris Brennan, Gladysdale

While it is inevitable that there will be a debate over the release of Cardinal Pell after being found not guilty, statements about the truth being established are wrong. It is important to remember that criminal trials are not a search for truth. They are a contest between two teams of lawyers vying to get a tick from the adjudicators. In this case Cardinal Pell's team lost the first two contests at state level but then won the grand final at the High Court. The truth is only known by the complainant and the defendant.

Phillip Edwards, Churchill

May I remind those who claim George Pell's acquittal proves his innocence and a miscarriage of justice, that they overlook the fact the acquittal was based on a "significant possibility" of his innocence (The Age, 8/4). In other words, there were grounds for reasonable doubt. Reasonable doubt does not equal innocence. Possibility does not equal fact. Evidence is almost impossible to provide in such cases. Pell always maintained his innocence; his accuser always maintained his guilt. Neither has been "proven" correct.

Ros de Bruin, Balwyn

While Peter Curtis (Letters 8/4) sings George Pell's praises as the first prelate to seriously address sexual abuse by clergy I would strongly urge him to examine what is on public record about the Melbourne Response, initiated, if not fully developed, by George Pell, which was roundly discredited by the royal commission, and others, as a mechanism to minimise church losses and silence victims. So, by all means, allow Pell his vindication in this case, but do not try and rewrite all of history by putting Pell on a pedestal.

Julian Guy, Mount Eliza

AND ANOTHER THING

Coronavirus

Essential driving tip for L-Platers: Carry a pair of waders in your car and head for a duck-shooting locale.

Carmel Hempenstall, Lake Wendouree

It is to be hoped that Boris Johnson feels safe in the British National Health System, a system his party has been attempting to dismantle for years.

Phil Alexander, Eltham

I recently bought a copy of The Age and as is now the custom, I paid with my card and had to pay a surcharge. Perhaps, there could be a short-term reprieve on fees for small purchases by the banks to help out sole traders and discourage the use of cash during this crisis.

Kevan Porter, Alphington

If driving to a place of exercise passes muster, would both an L-plater and supervising driver have to exercise?

Joan Segrave, Healesville

If I don't celebrate my April 9 birthday this year, can I deduct a year from my age?

Vikki O'Neill, Ashburton

I have shares in two banks, not many but a decision taken when interest rates were low and dividends reasonable. My nest egg has now halved in value, please don't take my dividend as well.

Graham Reynolds, Soldiers Hill

The 2020 World Olympics have already started. Go for Gold Australia!

Greg Lee, Red Hill

Logging! An essential service?

Cherie Forrester, Gembrook

The risk with the AFL "hubs" plan is that they will become like cruise ships – a hotspot for COVID-19.

Rob Stewart, Hawthorn East

Football, meat pies, kangaroos and Holden cars goes the jingle. The first and last have gone, the second now harder to get, the third decimated by drought.

Ian Rabone, Ocean Grove

From today, the phrase "one in a million" will have a new meaning.

Harriet Farnaby, Geelong West

Finally

For clarity, does the Easter Bunny provide an essential service?

Paul Challis, Elwood

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