On special schools, consult the parents

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Consult the parents
The parents of students in special schools are the ones to be consulted about their students’ needs (″⁣Probe split on special school phase-out″⁣, 29/9). My experience is of the wonderful care and education students get in special schools. In Victoria, these schools are outstanding.
Mainstream schools are ill-equipped to cope with students with special needs.
Give parents a choice.

Alan Gregory, Malvern East

Provide the funds
As a teacher of 34 years, I have seen many disabled students in the school system. But I have never seen a disabled student provided with adequate government funding to address their needs.
The government always denies this, but every school and every teacher knows this is true. Schools do their best but they are always underfunded and always trying to meet often difficult educational needs with too little funding.
Staff employed to work with disabled students are run ragged. Teachers try hard but can’t provide the time required, with a whole class of students to deal with, many of whom also have difficult learning needs.
I have seen students who would have been better educated in a special school, so I think they should be continued. However, if the government wants all, or even most, disabled students to be well-educated in a mainstream school, there needs to be a massive increase in funding.

Grant Nichol, North Ringwood

Integration a pipedream
As a teacher who has extensive experience in special needs and mainstream schools, I believe phasing out special schools and integrating all special-needs students into the mainstream is a pipedream.
Aside from the fact that special schools have smaller classes, and lessons targeted to students’ needs, student culture would need to drastically change.
As the article on Quaden Bayles (“Boy’s message resonates: Just Be Kind”, 29/9) demonstrates, children can be brutal towards anyone perceived as “different”. Often special needs schools are a refuge for students who don’t fit in because of their disability or because they’re diverse learners who have been bullied, ostracised and abused, making their school experience hell.
For full integration to succeed, a lot of work/education would have to take place with students, and sadly, given how intolerant society has become, it’s hard to imagine that happening.

Rohan Wightman, McKenzie Hill

Ah, those were the days
The editorial (30/9) listed a number of reasons I gave up going to VFL matches – a national competition (replacing state-of-origin games), ground rationalisation (loss of local identity), competition on three or four days a week, the razzmatazz and commercialisation of the sport (after fact-finding tours to the United States), but at least we didn’t persevere with the cheer leaders’ experiment.
My views won’t coincide with those of today’s supporters, but I miss the full back playing on the full forward, the ruckman and the rover resting in the pockets, the one-on-one struggles, the jumper that didn’t change to suit sponsors or themed rounds, the grand finals when the thirds, seconds and firsts played on the same ground on the same day, when half-time entertainment might be a marching band, when the AFL didn’t demand that governments provide or finance stadiums primarily for its sport, when there was one field umpire and free kicks weren’t limited by the need ″⁣to keep the game flowing″⁣, and when rules weren’t revised each year.
Watching today’s games takes me back to what my dotage sees as happier times.

Andrew Moloney, Frankston

A good vision
Re the article ″⁣Braille books for children appear in classroom″⁣ (24/9), as one of the original children’s authors whose books including There’s a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake were converted to Braille, I support Vision Australia’s program.
The Felix Project for pre-schoolers is another initiative that should be recognised.

Hazel Edwards,
Blackburn South

Polishing a jewel
Congratulations to all involved in realising the plan to construct a 10-kilometre predator-proof fence at Wilsons Prom (″⁣Cool island: Why Wilsons Prom is a perfect climate refuge″⁣, 24/9). This fence will add to the excellent ongoing work on eradicating feral animals, so that we can continue to enjoy Wilson’s Prom as a jewel in Victoria’s crown.

Carmel McNaught,
Balwyn North

Lament for local stores
Retired planning expert Roz Hansen (″⁣Pinpointing the city’s fault lines″⁣, 30/9) despairs when she sees a freestanding Bunnings ″⁣because you could put housing above it″⁣. Meanwhile, others of us despair at the loss of local hardware stores. The ones you could walk to, where you knew the staff by name, and if they didn’t have what you wanted, they’d order it in.
Our cities are trying to reduce car dependency and encourage neighbourhoods where services can be reached within a 15-minute walk. Yet our corporate giants have developed a retail model that does the exact opposite.

Andrea Bunting, Brunswick

Brownlow idea merit
We don’t usually agree with Eddie McGuire, but his call for a panel of experts to cast the Brownlow votes has merit. Each club could nominate a respected past player who adjudicates on games not involving their club.

Ian Dawes, Michael McMahon,
Tsum Valley, Nepal

A Melbourne obsession
As a recent ring-in to Melbourne from Sydney, I have to ask: Is there anybody in this city who is not obsessed with sport?

Judy Hungerford, Kew