School students with high needs require more support,not less

Margery Evans’ claims (Letters,October 27) about average public and private school funding don’t survive even a casual scrutiny. On average,public schools certainly get more money,but they enrol the highest-needs kids from the highest-cost families in the highest-cost locations. Anyone can find this out with a couple of mouse clicks on the My School website. This debate has moved on and is now well served by transparency. It’s beyond time for some people to catch up.Chris Bonnor,Cherrybrook

How fascinating that the proportion of private schools requiring full funding is approximately a mere 20 per cent. This high level of students with “special needs” shows that these schools are probably misjudged by the supporting general public,who mistakenly think that plunge pools,religious bias,overseas excursions,special sport trainers,built follies,full meals and minor luxuries don’t help those who have an apparent inordinate number of students with learning,behavioural,financial and physical difficulties.Donald Hawes,Peel

Your correspondent cites average funding based on Productivity Commission data in arguing that public schools in NSW receive more government funding per student than students from non-government schools. This ignores the wide disparities that exist across NSW in providing schooling. It obviously costs more per student to meet the needs of students in small schools in rural and remote areas. The vast majority of these schools are public schools. Nor does it take into account the similar disparities within the non-government sector,where some very high fee schools gain lesser levels of government funding.Robert Binns,Blaxland

Those calling for cuts to funding of private schools should be wary of what they ask for. Currently,governments spend $21,923 per child in the public system versus $12,313 in the private system. Were all funding cut,many parents would move their children to public schools. As a result,an extra $9610 per child would have to be found from the education budget - most likely by decreasing the amount spent per child in the public system.Hans Knutzelius,Balmain

Margery Evans conveniently forgot to mention the tax-deductible building and development funds that each private school runs. For instance,The King’s School helpfully suggests on their website a donation of $20,000 a year for five years would help build their new chapel precinct. We can very safely assume the top marginal rate,so that’s another $9000 a year forgone in taxes on top of the $12,313 she mentions.
But the wider issue is,as others have mentioned,the loudness of their “voice to parliament”. I don’t remember ever being asked to vote on that.Stein Boddington,St Clair

Golf course conversion serves all

The argument that bringing down the golf course fences and allowing public access to public land represents a “planning failure” ignores the fact that cities change (Letters,October 27). We are not going to solve the housing crisis without more housing,and we can’t expect people to live well in higher density without improved access to parkland and recreational space.

The City of Sydney is delivering 40 parks and playgrounds in the area,but these spaces don’t always provide the same recreational opportunities. We applaud the state government for committing to an equitable solution that will accommodate a nine-hole course and driving range and a new 20-hectare park for this growing community.

When we proposed the Moore Park Golf Course conversion we knew it wouldn’t be popular with golfers. But this is fundamentally a matter of equity for all,and for putting our public land to its best use in the community interest.Lord Mayor Clover Moore,Sydney

Did the Premier or the Lord Mayor consider how the residents of Zetland etc would access this new green space? The golf course is land locked between Anzac Parade and South Dowling St – how do the residents cross the road without multiple bridges being built,have they taken this into account,given the thousands of residents likely to use the area? Political decisions,as usual,make no logical sense to the person in the street.Craig Funnell,Bondi Beach

I understand that St Andrews in Scotland has seven courses in all. Some are closed on Sundays and access is provided to locals and visitors alike,together with family,kids and dogs. Maybe closing nine holes on Sundays may be a suitable compromise for all concerned. Inner-city and nearby residents could have access on a day that’s free of stray golf balls.Tony King,Coogee

Devoting acres of land to golf makes no sense. The act of hitting a golf ball takes probably less than half a second. Therefore,to play 18 holes for an average score of about 80 involves only 40 seconds of “playing golf”. The rest of the time is spent walking,or riding a golf cart if one is lazy. For this,you don’t need acres of expensive land,especially in a dwelling-challenged urban setting. A small park would suffice.Richard Keyes,Enfield

Where there’s no will

Nick Bryant is correct in his assertion that Australia has lost the will for reform (“Plodder nation lost its reform spark”, October 27). The Henry Tax Review was published in 2010 and,despite addressing many of the woes of our economy,has never been implemented. Albanese needs to get on with an economic blueprint for the future in order to bolster the well-being of the Australian people as well as his own political fortunes.Peter Nash,Fairlight

There is nothing wrong with being,as John Howard said,relaxed and comfortable. Progressives seem to just want change for change’s sake. Furthermore,the issues progressives choose are always divisive. They do not try and reach a consensus. The Voice and the republic are two classic examples of division and inflexibility.Riley Brown,Bondi Beach

We have now seemingly become afraid of progress and our progressive politicians retreat in the face of negative abuse. Relentless negativity and conservative philosophy don’t go together and yet the current Australian conservatives are some of the angriest and most negative people around. As Bryant says,negativity is the natural precursor to being destructive. You only have to observe the gridlocked US Congress at the moment to see the outcome of the negative conservatism of the current era.Peter Robertson,Stanmore

Super idea from the OECD could benefit all taxpayers

Young voters should pressure the federal government to start taxing superannuation incomes as recommended by the OECD (“Nation must rethink tax:think tank”,October 27). Self-funded retirees pay no tax on their superannuation drawdowns,yet benefit from costly government services such as Medicare which are financed from tax levied on younger workers. Superannuation is the receipt of deferred income and intergenerational equity would have superannuation withdrawals taxed as income,with a credit given for the 15 per cent tax already paid and the balance remaining at death treated as income in that fiscal year.Maurice Critchley,Mangrove Mountain

Renewed focus

Fresh from their referendum-wrecking campaign,Dutton and Littleproud are absurdly foghorning about “the reckless race to renewables” by proposing untested,exorbitantly costly small modular nuclear reactors,with a decade-long development time frame (“Bowen spruiks renewables as opposition backs nukes”,October 27). My family has recently installed rooftop solar panels and a battery. The savings are immediate and enormous. What is lacking is updated grid infrastructure to cheaply share our excess solar energy with our community. The opposition should pipe down for once and respect the government’s clear mandate for renewable energy.Alison Stewart,Riverview

It is intensely depressing how the Coalition attacks any progressive policy reform. There is no doubt that its obsession with cutting taxes and selling off or sub-contracting as much of government business as possible has contributed fundamentally to deepening inequality,poverty and misery.
Alan Morris,Eastlakes

Fuel for fossils

Museum-building should not be treated like a tourism cargo cult or a community hobby (“Digging for dirt costs town fossil museum”,October 27). Just a fraction of the cost of the proposed new museum could sustain and improve Gulgong’s four existing museums and collections. Communities are too readily lured into opening new museums instead of fixing the museums they already have. The legacy of decades of policy-free museum opening is a funding and sustainability crisis,not a regional tourism bonanza. Councils and governments need to think about museum policy and sustainability before splashing cash on new museums. Let’s hope the local council invests in support for the wonderful museums it already has,not just in Gulgong but in towns and villages across the region.Kylie Winkworth,Newtown

Give up the ghost

Is the amount of needless cheap plastic crap being generated for Halloween an environmental crime? Surely a few biodegradable pumpkins with ghosts made out of old sheets would suffice.
Nancy Foster,Forest Lodge

Unpalatable option

I was appalled to learn of the NSW government’s decision to reduce funding for palliative care (“Health areas forced to cut back palliative care spending”,October 27). This service is essential and should be receiving more funding,not less,with an ageing population and our strained public hospital system unable to meet current demands for beds. Palliative care provides people with a life-limiting or terminal illness with essential medical services as well as emotional,spiritual and social support for them and their family and carers. Hospitals are not resourced to provide this level of care.

How will people at end-of-life in unbearable pain be treated if palliative care is not available? Does the government expect people to die in pain at home with the consequent trauma to family and carers or wait interminably for a hospital bed? Voluntary assisted dying will not be the answer for everybody,if this is what the government is thinking. Some people will not agree to VAD. Others,who would access it,will be unable to do so as it is a complicated process that takes time,time that they do not have. Others will not have the mental capacity required to apply for and be approved for VAD.David Uren,Mona Vale

What’s a joint like this...

Letters in today’s paper (Letters,October 27) have missed the point. The bean counters are interested in churning patients out of scarce beds after joint surgery. The answer is obvious. Patients should be given the joint replacement parts during their initial consultation and do the procedure at home via a tele-appointment. Physios could leave photocopies of exercises to be performed at home. Think how many beds and physio sessions would be freed up.Sue Jones,Windradyne

Peace please

For humanity’s sake could Israelis and Palestinians agree on a settlement of their historical differences and cease their disgusting war of retribution? Almost 10,000 civilians,men,women and children,have already perished in the current conflict and if Israel persists with a land incursion,tens of thousands more Israeli and Palestinian civilians and soldiers will perish or suffer war injuries. The presence in the region of warships from bellicose USA could bring other states into the conflict. At the end,two million Palestinians will have little but rubble and graves to return to and both parties will have destroyed their economies for decades.Brian O’Donnell,Burradoo

Ferals gone

What a joy to still have a few years left in me to see the first signs of recovery after the effective removal of feral horses from Kosciuszko National Park following the addition of aerial culling to the toolkit. Clear waters,solid banks and regrowth of aquatic and other plants,together with the arrival of insects,birds and our small mammals,await us all.Dianne Thompson,Fisher (ACT)

Ban bad stone

The construction of silicon benchtops is a “lifestyle” accent used in new housing at the moment. They are not essential. Common sense says that they are potentially lethal and should be banned immediately.Nedra Orme,Neutral Bay

I bet “Big Tobacco” could give “Engineered Stone” a few tips.Tim Schroder,Gordon

Doth protest too much

If that’s how St Ursula’s Catholic school reacts when a student wants to bring a same-sex partner,imagine how they would react if a student wanted to bring a Protestant?Ron Brown,Wallsend

Rating the orators

Boris Johnson’s withering response to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s criticism of his public speaking skills had me lamenting the passing of the witty and eloquent newspaper columnists of yesteryear (CBD,October 27). As the revolving door of ex-PMs produces an endless line of potential newspaper commenters,who are the great Australian political orators and writers today?John Ruffels,Blackalls Park

BoJo is not charging a speaker’s fee. Far too expensive – he should pay.Bill Kierath,Bathurst

Aged not wearied

Speaking about 70 not being old (Letters,October 27),when pressed for my age,I now always simply say I’m only just in my 70s. Early or late 70s? Never mind!Edward Loong,Milsons Point

Flagging concern

On bus trips into the city recently I’ve noticed that the Australian flag (or maybe it’s another nation’s similar flag flown in solidarity) that’s flying high on Pyrmont Bridge is looking a bit tatty and old hat. Perhaps those responsible could get around to replacing it with a new one,and while they’re at it,a new one – if you get my drift. Or is that going to be a bridge too far this soon after the referendum?Alicia Dawson,Balmain

Postscript

Does the Herald readership include a large number of educators? Here at Letters we’re used to a strong response to anything school-related,but this week’s reaction to a column from our revered (and publicly-educated) economics editor,Ross Gittins,How identity politics has plunged our public schools into crisis,is unprecedented.

On Wednesday,he wrote “..there’s something very wrong with the way federal and state governments are dividing their funding between public and private schools. It’s a system where the less government help a school needs,the more it’s given,and the more a school needs the more likely it won’t be given enough.”

Ian Ferrierof Long Jetty agreed,saying “the resulting segregation of schools is bad for our society and bad for our overall education standards. The Albanese government must live up to its Labor Party aspirations and get the funding model right for the long-term good of our society and all of our children.”

Elsewhere,a separate argument about golf blew up on the Letters pages following our story about the Premier’s plan toslash the inner-city’s Moore Park Golf Course in half to create a new park.Genevieve Miltonof Dulwich Hill said that setting aside a section of Moore Park golf course for green space for high-rise residents in Green Square highlighted government’s lack of forethought in planning for intensified living spaces.

But it was a letter from Berowra’sMargot Vaccari,asking why there were more men than women on the Letters pages,that ended up pinned to the door of the Letters bunker.

“To my female friends,family and philosophical foes,why are we so often under-represented in the Letters pages? Obviously we have opinions on par with males and it would be great if we could share them more to create a gender balance”.
She raises a good point,which is often debated by the Letters team. We try for gender parity on the page,but it’s almost impossible when we receive so many more letters from men. Women of Australia,please put your fingers to the keyboard.Margot Saville,Deputy letters editor