WHAT ARE WE LEARNING?
There was a time when teachers were held in high regard as trusted professionals and parents weren't entitled to a dearth of statistical information, but were simply informed about their individual child's learning.
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This has been replaced by board of studies controlled outcomes and Naplan data where teachers are now only viewed as delivery agents .
Matty Ryan, Fairy Meadow
SUPPORT FOR SENIORS
Pensioners were already outraged at the Liberal Federal Government’s changes to the pensions assets test which will reduce many part pensions next year, as well as their $1.2 billion funding cut to aged-care services.
The ALP backflip, discussed in the article "Glee at ALP backflip" (Illawarra Mercury, May 27, 2016), to not reverse these changes should they win government will leave them with no major party to vote for.
It is pleasing to know, however, that in the Senate, pensioners are now supported by the new Seniors United Party of Australia (SUPA).
A few years ago a Dapto letter writer to the Illawarra Mercury lamented the fact then that seniors did not have their own political party to support them.
At this coming Federal election SUPA will have three candidates standing for the senate.
When the Federal Coalition government in its recent budget reduced taxes for the wealthy and multinational companies it would not have possibly dawned on many pensioners that the reduction of their part pensions was paying for tax reductions for millionaires.
With Labor and the Greens supporting those attacks on pensioners in parliament pensioners and seniors now know they have the full support of at least one political party in opposing those changes.
Bob Patrech, Figtree
CONSTRUCTING AN ARGUMENT
Is the Collegians Club in Wollongong exempt from the same building codes that apply to local construction sites?
As a city resident I am well accustomed to the sounds of construction for six days of the week.
But as a resident living nearby Collegians we are now being forced to put up with it on a Sunday morning.
What is going on Wollongong Council?
Lynley Knight, Wollongong
LEADERS ALL SPIN
We seem to be getting a lot of spin from these two leaders.
Political spin.
All these promises, upon promises.
Now we all now know who Turnbull supports - anyone over the income on $87,000 methinks.
There is a clue there.
Isn't the lower paid pollie paid that amount per annum? So the lowly paid and the good old pensioner pays for it.
Why give them a tax break at all? Don't they earn enough already?
Makes one think which way he his heading.
With all these promises, the trouble is, once there in whoever that may be, the promises are simply not coming forward.
Or they say it is not sustainable to keep those promises.
So now you have it - the devil you know, or the devil you don't know.
Lawrence Wren, Fairy Meadow
- Letters on election issues must bear the name and full address of the writer(s). Responsibility for election comment in this issue is accepted by Fairfax Illawarra and South East NSW group managing editor Kim Treasure, 77 Market St, Wollongong. Writers should disclose any alliance with political or community organisations and include their telephone number for verification. Election candidates should declare themselves as such when submitting letters.