LAST year I attended the funeral for two primary school brothers who were in my class in 2019 and 2020. They, along with their mother and cousin, were killed in an alleged act related to domestic violence. After leaving teaching at the end of 2020, the funeral was the first time I had anything to do with schools or students since quitting.
The funeral humbled me. You realise the impact you have on your students, but all positive aspects of education had been lost on me by a bureaucracy and administration focused on delivering educational performance outcomes.
After some consideration, I felt inspired to spend another few years back in the classroom. Surprisingly, despite holding all the accreditation and training training amid a shortage of teachers, the process to re-enter the workforce was prohibitive.
To be reemployed in a non-government school on a contract (casual teaching could no longer meet cost-of-living requirements), I need to provide referees that validate my teaching within the 'past two years.' I can't. I haven't taught. So right now, a class which I have been assigned to teach goes without a teacher. I'm not particularly worried. My first engagement with education after many years simply reminds me exactly why I left. Australian schools are simply out of touch with the fact a casualised teaching workforce means teachers will transition into other forms of employment. Sadly, the education bureaucrats make it difficult for teachers to return to the profession.
Greg Adamson, Griffith
Renewables rush can't deny detail
IN reply to Lloyd Davies' assessment that wind farms work to only 30 per cent of their potential ("Blow to win is misplaced", Letters, 7/2): he is probably correct, but what is their potential? They don't work with too much or too little wind, which is most of the time, which is why wind farms produce less than 2 per cent of the world's power supply and why we should take notice.
Yes, wind is always present somewhere, but is it the right wind? Thus, how many wind farms will we need and how much will it cost? This is something I fear the Albanese government doesn't want to know in their haste to make it their way, or no way, with no turning back before the next federal election.
The sooner we have a government that asks us what we want, rather than telling us what we will have, the sooner we will return to a democracy. As for trust, every time Mr Albanese moves his lips, I will assume he is telling another lie.
Carl Stevenson, Dora Creek
Shadow cabinet fails to impress
IT is a well-established concept that cunning aspirants for high office always select "no ambition" acolytes for their support group. In my opinion this situation exists in the federal shadow cabinet. Consequently, upon rising in their places in our parliament to attack Labor or Anthony Albanese, the Dutton acolytes constantly reinforce to the nation evidence of their frailties. Their rote histrionics are tiresome and trite, to the extent even their ringmaster Peter Dutton can often be seen during their eccentric performances looking at the floor.
I believe Mr Dutton proved in 2015 he was not fit for high office. Who can forget how panicked Scott Morrison became upon realising a boom microphone was quite possibly recording discussion between Tony Abbott, Peter Dutton, and himself during which "Port Moresby time" was mentioned? The recorded conversation, during which Mr Dutton revealed his lack of ministerial nous with his juvenile joke that global warming would soon have sea water lapping the doors of Pacific Island nations.
Barry Swan, Balgownie
All Stars should include everyone
HERE we go again; another year of football coming to a stadium near you. The one thing that really irks me is that the first rep game is for Indigenous players only. So much for the NRL being inclusive and open to all players. I believe this is not a racist stand by me, but by the NRL. How can they have an inclusive competition when they start out with an Indigenous All Star players only game?
I wonder what the outcry would be if Indigenous players were excluded from playing. It's time for the NRL organisation to take ownership of this and make sure all players are treated equally.
Greg Lowe, New Lambton
High-speed rail just a quick fix for politics
I GUESS Glen Wilson has no sense of humour ("Don't cut corners for faster rail", Letters, 7/2), nor recognises sarcasm. Every time the high speed rail proposal has been rolled out over the past 25 years, it's been for the same one or two reasons: usually some state or federal politician is in the bad books, or there is an upcoming election. In this case our beloved Prime Minister's popularity has taken a beating, and it seemingly works for Glen and others because they believe it will get built. I wish I could share their confidence.
Andrew Hirst, Beresfield
US system falls short of our own
SORRY Greg Hunt ("What do we know about Trump?", Letters, 7/2), but I don't get any of my opinions from "biased left-wing media". I determined Donald Trump to be a dimwit and a creep simply by watching and listening to the man himself. My point was that our electoral system is thankfully far superior and no-one of such notoriously poor character could succeed here.
Mac Maguire, Charlestown
Climate strain subsidy premature
GEOFF Black ("Why premiums are so steep", Letters, 5/2), you have a point worth considering. The government should subsidise those homeowners at risk due to catastrophic global boiling causing rapidly rising seas like we are witnessing in Sydney Harbour. I'm sure Malcolm Turnbull would agree to move to higher ground.
Steve Barnett, Fingal Bay
Protesters were not a monolith
COLIN Fordham ("Protesters owed an apology", Letters, 7/2), suggests an apology to opera house protestors for what police who weren't there said they didn't say, as opposed to what multiple witnesses who were there said they did. Whatever the case, if any apology is forthcoming, it should be from anyone celebrating a massacre and kidnappings before Israel had even responded to the attack. As the Premier said, the protest was violent and racist.
Peter Dolan, Lambton
Loading leaves little leeway
ROBERT Dixon ("Loading not equality", Letters, 6/2), makes a very valid point about the Labor Party's 20 per cent loading for women at a preselection ballot. Doesn't make sense to me either, just the same as when the unions push for higher wages then whinge when the increase puts their members into a higher tax bracket.
