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Sydney Morning Herald
14-07-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
Life in the 'burbs
The Age asked Melburnians to write about their suburb, whether the cliches about it are true and how life there has changed in recent years.
The Age
02-07-2025
- The Age
The role of communities in childcare
To submit a letter to The Age, email letters@ Please include your home address and telephone number. No attachments, please include your letter in the body of the email. See here for our rules and tips on getting your letter published. Like many, I am shocked and sickened by the latest allegations of abuse occurring in childcare centres. I was involved in campaigns for universal, affordable, quality childcare in the '70s and '80s when services were largely provided by community groups, churches and local government with funding from federal sources. We campaigned successfully for a range of services to meet community needs. There were clear regulations about space, staff-child ratios, quality of food provision, and there was oversight. The Howard government changed the framework by opening the sector to for-profit organisations. The service attracted big corporations and childcare chains – there were corporate collapses, such as ABC Learning, often inadequate staffing and accusations of financial misconduct. For-profits now provide 75 per cent of childcare centres and there has obviously been inadequate oversight and regulation. Too often profit comes before care. So we are all justly horrified by the latest accusations of abuse. Childcare is an essential service for families. It is part of early childhood learning and good for children's development. The Albanese government recognises this and has raised wages for poorly paid workers and has put more funds into the sector. It is a community responsibility, as are our schools. We must ensure that the staff are well-trained and paid, that there are ratios, that it is well-regulated and supported, and provided where needed. And we need to rethink our priorities. Where do we want our tax dollars to go: to universal, affordable, quality community childcare or more daycare nightmares? For me, I want it in community hands. Anne Sgro, Coburg North Many good men work in the sector I, too, was devastated with the news of the daycare nightmare allegations. All parents have the right to safe and happy childcare for their children. The Age reports (' Innocent male workers will leave sector in charges wake ', 2/7) that parents 'took to social media to decry men working in the learning learning sector' and that parents are considering removing their children from centres if a male educator worked there. This is not the solution. Many good men work in the child care industry, and at kindergartens, primary schools and secondary schools. And we need men in these areas. We need kind, good male role models for our children throughout their lives. This horrendous accusation should not negate the importance of our children experiencing the support of both good female and male educators throughout their lives. Mary-Jane Boughen, Murrumbeena No check will ever be foolproof The allegations of child sexual abuse by a childcare worker are truly horrific, and my heart goes out to those parents and children affected. It has led to calls for stricter or changed Working with Children checks, and while the checks would be improved by cross border co-operation, no check will ever catch all future alleged abusers. Whether it is comprehensive checks for working with children, police checks for directors, checks for gun licences, or any other, all a clear comprehensive check really tells us is that the person hasn't offended yet, or hasn't been caught yet. There is no check which can ensure a person will not offend in the future in whatever field the check covers. We cannot make childcare risk free; we can only mitigate the risk. It will also be very unfortunate if this case results in fewer men in childcare. There have been cases of female child sexual abusers, and we must take the risk that women will offend or be without childcare entirely. Children need both female and male role models in their lives, as safe as we can make them, but unfortunately life cannot be entirely risk free. Louise Kloot, Doncaster THE FORUM Call out racism In the land that proudly calls itself multicultural, the ugly shadow of racism still lingers. From casual slurs whispered in workplaces, to systemic inequalities affecting First Nations peoples, migrants, and refugees, it is time we acknowledged racism is not a relic of the past — it is still very much alive in Australia. Many of us grew up hearing that Australia was the ″fair go″ country — a place where everyone had a chance to succeed. And yet, there is discrimination because of skin colour, religion, name, accent or cultural background. I have endured most of this in my almost 70 years here. Media must do far more to amplify diverse voices and challenge stereotypes, and criticise those politicians who promote racism. To remain silent is to be complicit. As citizens, we have a moral responsibility to confront racism — in our institutions, in our communities, and within ourselves. Australia must do better. Not just for those who suffer the sting of racism every day, but for the country we aspire to be. Ange Kenos, Niddrie Women, rise up If you look at the countries at the forefront of all the major conflicts in the world all are led by men. This despite the fact that women make up roughly half the population on the planet. The only way this can ever change is if women rise up and challenge this imbalance and take their rightful equal place in the leadership of countries. Providing quotas in a democratic country is just one small step towards achieving this. David Parker, Geelong West Wrong priorities Development Victoria has announced the construction of a $350 million three-storey building in the Albert Park reserve. The proposed development is presented as a community/sports centre rather than a pit building and entertainment space for the annual four-day F1 car racing. Victoria has far more urgent needs. Geoff Gowers, Merricks North
News.com.au
26-06-2025
- News.com.au
‘Why?': Public transport commuters baffled by common act
A seemingly simple act on public transport has left Melbourne commuters puzzled, sparking a debate online about why many choose to stand rather than sit on a tram, even when plenty of seats are available. A user posted a photo on Reddit of an empty tram seat, surrounded by standing passengers, with the caption: 'People who prefer to stand than take a free seat on public transport, why?' The original poster elaborated: 'Hear me out, I know people like to stand up and be ready to go, but when the tram is clearly full and people are struggling to get on, what's the reason for not sitting? 'Even when the tram isn't full, why not sit while in a moving vehicle?' They also mentioned witnessing a woman 'smash her head' on the tram floor after falling backwards from a sudden stop. 'She was bleeding, and at her age, lucky to be alive,' they said. 'Maybe we are all complacent until we see someone bleeding'. Reasons for standing The post quickly went viral, attracting hundreds of comments from Melburnians offering various reasons for their preference to stand. Many said it helps avoid getting trapped as the tram fills up and makes it easier to hop off at busy stops. 'I've always thought people stand to avoid getting stuck and unable to get off,' said one commenter, with another adding, 'Agree, especially if it's a short stop and you're getting on before a rush of people'. Others said it was sometimes 'awkward' to navigate crowded aisles to reach a seat, so they just don't bother. And for some, standing was just a welcome break from sitting at a desk all day. 'I sit down in my office all day, so I prefer to stand,' said one, while another echoed: 'I sit enough'. Seat size plays a role The size of public transport seats was another point raised. 'I'm a 6'1 man and the seats are made for tiny munchkin people,' said one. 'Even if I'm lucky and the person across from me has short legs, we'll still knock knees. So I have to sit with my feet crammed under the seat if I don't want to play footsie,' complained a fed-up commuter. 'There is no socially appropriate way to sit in those seats,' chimed in someone else. 'Either your feet block the aisle or you're knee to crotch with someone else'. 'There's no such thing as personal space in those seats,' agreed a third. Meanwhile, some people said for them, it was more about hygiene. 'Hear me out … people are gross,' said one. 'I've seen enough disgusting hygiene on public transport to know I want to be nowhere near those seats'. Others just didn't want to ruin their nice clothes by sitting down on a potentially dirty seat. And some felt sitting for just a few stops wasn't worth it. 'I'm often not going far,' said one commuter. 'If I sit down, I'll probably just have to get up for someone who needs it more,' added another. A different person mentioned they didn't see the issue with standing in the first place, as it's not physically taxing. Safety considerations contacted Transport for Victoria for a comment, who directed us to their safety page. It states: 'Because our trams often share roads with other traffic, unexpected stops can occur. Always sit whenever possible and hold on to a pole, handle or strap if you're standing'. The transport authority also advises commuters to adopt a 'feet apart, strong stance' when standing to prevent falling over.
