Letters and short takes November 13 2023

Bearing in mind that there are some children that have psychological diagnoses that require specialist care and understanding, how can we expect teachers to cope? Teachers used to be able to teach children.

Now they are expected to be psychologists and parents while managing behavioural problems. They need support, and they need to be respected. We need specialist units for children with a diagnosis with specialists that can review not only the medication but the family unit and support systems. Provide initiatives to caregivers so that they have the skills and support their child requires.

We have psychologists, teachers, doctors, parents, grandparents, foster carers and caregivers. What we do not have is cohesion and open communication within this circle. Who would want to be a stressed out teacher, who is not a valued part of the community?

Being a teacher was held in high regard at one time. Instead they are being used as a scapegoat of a bigger problem. Fix the problem, give teachers back their role as actual teachers and you will have great quality teachers back in droves. And no, I am not a teacher; I am a mother and grandmother with a degree in Social Science and a little common-sense.

I ACCEPT and agree with most of the sentiments expressed in the Herald's editorial on teaching ("Teachers' bleak narrative must change", Opinion 9/11). Teaching once attracted our brightest and best; teachers were respected by the community, monetary rewards were good and a teaching scholarship was a way out of rural poverty.

Today's teachers are not respected or valued by most members of the community. It is all very well describing 'teaching as a calling, rather than a means to an end.' But that does not justify the status quo.

If society truly values teachers it will pressure the state government to pay higher salaries to attract more and better teachers. The pay rates and society's regard for teachers go hand in hand. Otherwise, teaching will remain thankless, dangerous and unfulfilling.

ON Wednesday Optus internet provider lost their customers' connections to their phones and internet. Last I heard the company was fairly unapologetic, proposing there will be no financial compensation. This is particularly onerous to small business people in particular who could not continue their business.

What has become of legal tender? Next time the internet condition fails, or is sabotaged, all commerce must stop. Any saboteur has a wonderful tool to paralyse our cashless commerce, military and government. Surely this is not acceptable.

The commercial advantage of electronic payment is the ability to track every transaction of every person and if that transaction isn't approved by the bank, to remove their ability to pay. This is already happening; when one wishes to pay large accounts, one is invariably confronted by bank officials demanding details, that you remove your sunglasses for their cameras and accept delays to gain access to your own money. Surely this is not the deal we signed up for.

GRIEF is not an emotion that we experience in a vacuum, and last weekend along with grief there was an overwhelming feeling of hope and determination. Of strength and love, of resistance and camaraderie.

Earlier this month in Mulubinba/ Newcastle we marched in solidarity with our Palestinian brothers and sisters. We marched against the brutal massacre that is going on, day after day. We marched against our government lining the pockets of Israel's army, and against their refusal to call a ceasefire.

I was a photographer documenting the day. Some photos were hard to take because I had too many tears in my eyes to see through the lens. Watching such young children marching through the streets, crying out words that they should be far too young to be aware of: genocide, massacre, occupation, bombs. Looking down the lens and seeing their parents' faces full of worry, and grief, and such great sadness; a community brought together by such unimaginable atrocities committed against them.

The Newcastle community came together to make a statement that we stand with the people of occupied Palestine, and we are not giving up. We want an immediate ceasefire.

IN 2019 when we were overseas, the media there was referring to Bozo, ScoMo and Trumpo as the three clowns of the English speaking world. All have been voted out of office, and in my opinion ScoMo departed almost totally devoid of any credibility. Why is he allowed to swan around on the international stage, creating the perception he is representing Australian opinion?

WELL maybe these bright sparks that think a cashless society would be the ants pants should think again after the Optus outage. There was no way to pay for anything by phone or EFTPOS, etc. Cash is king, I say.

BOTH Newcastle and Lake Macquarie councils seem to have spent a lot of ratepayer money advocating for a 'yes' vote in the recent Voice to Parliament referendum campaign. Why is the actual spend such a secret? A motion was raised at a recent meeting to disclose the Newcastle spend, but it was very swiftly shut down by the lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes. Surely ratepayers are entitled to know how much of their money was spent?

AH, Melbourne Cup. The winner? Rate Rise out of Reserve Bank, owned by Big Bank Profiteers and backed on the gallop by Political Corruption. Last to finish? Mortgage Holder.

SO, the COVID inquiry will now examine lockdowns and the like. Oh, surprise, surprise.

RISING Tide supporters in plastic kayaks. Ha ha ha ha.

FOR clarification to my letter ("Albo must own referendum fail", Letters, 6/11): Anthony Albanese simply supported the concept of the proposal of a Voice by holding a democratic referendum. The Voice was never his idea. Though the people voted a resounding 'no', this in no way is a bad reflection against him.