Illustration: Bruce Petty
Michael Bachelard falls short of calling for a royal commission into vocational education ("VET sector: get-rich scheme for shonks, shysters", Opinion, /12) . I am reluctant to recommend a process that would pour taxpayers' money into lawyers and ex-judges pockets with an uncertain outcome. But if anything needs a royal commission, it is the technical and vocational system – its practices and its history. Many individuals have profited from the changes to TAFE. They are (or were) ambitious bureaucrats who advanced their careers by supporting change that was not in the best interests of Victorian vocational education or the students who needed access to it.
Historically there were many TAFE teachers – perhaps hundreds of them – who opposed changes that they clearly saw would lead to the abuses at which Bachelard points. The watershed years begin in the mid-1980s when TAFE colleges began to introduce competency-based training to replace time-based apprenticeships. This change was largely spearheaded by political and bureaucratic interests, but there also was union support from the likes of Lawrie Carmichael and industry produced mixed responses to the changes. In some ways the vocational sector got lost in the massive changes wrought by the 1985 Blackburn Report into post-compulsory secondary education which saw the introduction of the VCE in Victoria.
The vocational sector saw the introduction of training packages, courses stripped of anything but rudimentary skills acquisition, the casualisation of the workforce, and the development of certificates that took the place of fully-fledged teacher education diplomas. The acceptance of private providers, some of which Bachelard accurately describes as "shonks and shysters", the recognition of prior learning, the tightening of government funding and many other things have led to the current abysmal state of what used to be a vibrant, important and successful alternative sector to post-compulsory secondary education and tertiary education. It is time for a royal commission to set the record straight.
Ralph Blunden, Hawthorn
TAFEs' proud history of world's best training
Private vocational education providers have plundered billions of Victorian taxpayer dollars since Liberal and Labor governments opened up funding to anyone who could download teaching resources and register a business name. All governments, state and federal, know that the only way to stop this is to cap funding for private operators to 20per cent of the funding pool, with 80per cent going to the community-based TAFE institutes. TAFEs (or their earlier equivalents) have been providing world's best vocational training for more than 100years. Sir Redmond Barry started the School of Mines in Ballarat well before he hanged poor old Ned Kelly. Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology started up a few years later and Northern Melbourne Institute of Technology not long after that. The dithering politicians are risking our children's future and wasting billions of our taxes.
Ricky Milnes, Thornbury
Labor and Liberals encouraged the rorting
It is true that the grounds for rorting the private vocational education system were created under federal Labor in 2012. However, let us remember that the Liberal Party's slogans also embrace unrestrained "choice, diversity, innovation", and that former prime minister Tony Abbott abolished as many regulatory bodies, accountability and "red tape" as he could on the grounds that they were disincentives to industry (to make as big a profit as possible).
Geoff Payne, Mornington
For the public good
A recent Australian Skills Quality Authority review into training for the early childhood education and care workforce identified at least seven training providers were non-compliant, even after having the opportunity to fix their breaches. The report did not say that each one was a for-profit VET provider. Only repeated requests for information from ASQA revealed this. Why wasn't that critical information in the report? Who is protecting the for-profit VET sector? Education is a public good and should not be allowed to operate for private profit.
Brian Newman, Brunswick
Saving young lives
Yarra Drug and Health Forum supports the introduction of scientific testing of pills at raves, dance parties and festivals. Most people who attend these events and use drugs do so for enjoyment and do not experience harmful side effects. However, some suffer the adverse consequences of consuming uncontrolled and unregulated drugs.
International literature indicates that testing can provide party goers with accurate information about drugs. Many people dispose of their pill once they are aware it does not meet their expectations and may be deleterious to their health.
Internationally, police support this approach by using their discretion not to enforce drug laws for minor offences, as they currently do in Victoria in many circumstances. The benefits of taking a harm reduction approach outweighs concerns about pill testing as "sending the wrong message". All parties should send the right message: We care for you and want to save your life.
Greg Denham, Yarra Drug and Health Forum, Collingwood
Our own silky oak
Phil Harty (Letters, 4/12) is right, the Jacarandas are beautiful, but I have long thought that the Australian Christmas tree should be the Grevillea Robusta, known by many as the silky oak. At the moment these magnificent tall trees are in all their golden glory just in time for Christmas, and can be seen all over Melbourne, the suburbs and regional towns.
Patricia Sullivan, Somers
The rights of Tranz
In response to Fiona McLean (Letters, 4/12), it is not so much that gender identity is "changeable and self-determined" but that it is a separate thing from physical biology. That choice that Fiona refers to is better described as something that exists within the deepest aspects of a transgender person's psyche and identity, which needs to be given voice to, and acted upon, if one is to be a complete human being. Constraining that choice, because of biology, makes for an unnecessary number of unhappy individuals, prone to suicidal thoughts and poor mental health. Yes, there is need for greater acceptance of transgender individuals, but we are already seeing this through celebrity Tranz Caitlyn Jenner, the television show Transparent and many other examples ... and the world has not ended.
Jessica Ward, transgender citizen, Upwey
Next step, Labor
Obviously Ian Macfarlane missed the perks of ministerial office so much that he sold out and switched sides to get back in the trough. Does this mean that if the Coalition loses government at the next election, he will switch to the ALP to have a chance to prolong his magnificent ministerial career?
Graeme Rankin, Holder, ACT
In praise of aid
No doubt it is pleasing to hear of our country's "slightly better than expected" economic growth in the September quarter (BusinessDay, 4/12). However, the hopeless actions of Malcolm Turnbull in slashing the aid budget by a predicted $200million in 2016-17 is pitiful. As a rich nation, we have a moral obligation to assist developing nations, especially where preventable epidemics such as HIV and AIDS continue to kill millions every year. Aid does work. Since Australia joined the Global Fund in 2004, our country alone has saved an estimated 235,000 lives and supported access to antiretroviral medication for more than 110,000 people who live in counties with economies even smaller than ours.
Oliver Hornung, Donvale
Who enjoys the spoils?
Michael West points out that $42billion of the $103billion charity industry comes from government grants (BusinessDay, 4/12). It is reasonable to assume that government also contributes about one-third of the remainder through taxation deductions. I wonder how many charities distribute two-thirds of gross income to the causes they espouse and, consequently, if they serve any purpose other than to provide social events for the idle and well-to-do.
John Lewis, Port Melbourne
Mon dieu
It was distressing to read that the poor, cash-strapped French could only provide "hanger-sized" facilities for the media at the Paris climate summit (Insight, 4/12). Perhaps un chapeau could be passed around so that they could, at least, provide a media centre the size of a hangar.
Allan Carter, Heathmont
Why punish the kids?
I shall sleep so much better tonight, knowing that the brave officers of the Immigration Department and Border Force are protecting children in (probably illegal, certainly immoral) detention from the dangers of exposure to Brigidine nuns. How readily we decry bullying in society at large, but are happy to tolerate it when it is institutionalised in government departments and in, and by, Parliament. The next logical step will be to offer each of these children, who have done nothing wrong, a $60,000 scholarship to further his or her studies in "ethical considerations in Australian democracy".
Eric Kennelly, Ballarat Central
Consequences of war
If the new Coalition of the Willing destroys the "death cult", what next? Russia shuts its bases and returns to unfinished business in Ukraine? Millions of refugees commence the long march out of Europe? The army of the new Kurdistan disbands and the Kurds return to their old boundaries? Turkey stops bombing and repressing its own restive Kurds? Syrian President Bashar al-Assad converts to liberal democracy? Iran relinquishes its burgeoning interests in Southern Iraq? The various heavily armed groups hand in their weapons and take up peaceful pursuits? I think not.
All wars have "unexpected consequences". World War I led to the destruction of four empires, and World War II led to the Cold War and the continuing threat of nuclear destruction. This one will be no different.
John Quinn, Avoca
Walking the walk
We had planned a family holiday to Japan next year. Apart from accommodation etc, that would have included four air fares and a lot of discretionary spending. However, we have decided not to go to the land of the Rising Sun. Kill whales, kill tourism.
Simon Clegg, Donvale
Church's moral failure
It is good to hear all perspectives on the debate about marriage equality, Kevin Donnelly (Opinion, 4/12), and the Catholic bishops have a right to their views. But we now know that senior church leaders chose to listen to their insurers' advice to "admit nothing" about clergy sex abuse (The Age, 4/12). They put the economic welfare of their organisation above the needs of children and their families. When will the bishops accept that their absolute moral failure in this regard means that they have lost any authority to speak on marriage equality? And when will conservative commentators such as Kevin Donnelly recognise that positive messages about acceptance and diversity are closer to the message of the Gospels than the inaction of the church?
Elizabeth O'Connor, Ivanhoe
It's time to stand up
Canada, the United States and New Zealand have concluded treaties with their Indigenous peoples. It matters less that such treaties' reach and implementation have been uneven than that, as nations, those tribes, Indigenous confederations etc were accorded the respect and status due to rightful occupants of colonised territories. For Australia to endlessly fiddle with insertions of Aboriginal recognition into its coloniser's constitution without having treated our Indigenous peoples as independent equals is anachronistic. And racist. Is it too late for a treaty? Or is it essential? Perhaps the best Aboriginal leadership of Noel Pearson's generation could abandon this farce of constitutional recognition, champion a new direction and shame Australia to stand up.
Ken Blackman, Hampton
A laugh a minute
If readers' letters were part of Tony Abbott's downfall (3/12) keep them coming to thwart a comeback. But maybe dedicate a column in the comics.
Ralph Frank, Malvern East
AND ANOTHER THING
New reports cause me to wonder if there have ever been hailstones that weren't "the size of golf balls".
Eddie Wilgar, Yarraville
Politics
Ian Macfarlane has switched to the far lane.
Rod Matthews, Fairfield
Last Thursday a rat entered the National Party barn.
Don Lancaster, Prahran
The only difference with having Turnbull as PM is that we're being mugged by a more polite bandit.
Malcolm Fraser, Oakleigh South
The "transition" is looking more like a knifing in a divided party.
Margaret Ludowyk, Brunswick
Bravo, Peter Hartcher. The Shirtfronted articles were highly informative.
Don Mackay, Croydon
Can we please have an Abbott-free edition of The Age?
Louis Roller, Fitzroy North
Regarding climate change, it's Malcolm Turncoat – all Bull, no action.
Chris Moss, Ashburton
Shootings
The US government: for the gun, of the gun, by the gun.
Bill Trestrail, St Kilda
The gun lobby's mantra is: "Guns don't kill people, people kill people". Actually, bullets kill people. Do the killers throw them?
David Geryga, Beechworth
Furthermore
Jim Given says World War II diggers want to choose when to die (5/12). That goes for the rest of us too.
John Millard, Doncaster East
The Catholic Church has every right to present a perspective on same-sex marriage, Linda Mackie (5/12).
David Thomson, St Kilda
Ian Malcolm's letter (2/12) reminded me of the old joke from Laugh-In: "We pre-recorded this show earlier as we couldn't figure out how to pre-record it later".
John Sutton, Brunswick West
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