July 14, 2026 — 8:00pm Photo: Cathy WilcoxTo submit a letter to The Age, email letters@theage.com.au. Please include your home address and telephone number below your letter. No attachments. See here for our rules and tips on getting your letter published.EDUCATIONThere were no tissues required when I read about 50 private schools losing some federal funding. While Haileybury, Penleigh and Essendon Grammar will lose significant amounts of federal funding, those losses will merely bring them back to the minimum School Resource Standard funding threshold (″⁣The biggest losers set to miss out on millions due to private school cash cuts″⁣, 14/7).Every public school in Victoria receives less funding than what these private schools are being reduced to, and all remain underfunded. While this ″⁣loss″⁣still leaves private schools better funded than public schools, other private schools such as Presbyterian Ladies’ College, receive $15.8 million in federal funding to build a swimming complex.I teach in a public school whose gym has not been updated since the 1960s. Like many other public school teachers, I am at school this week while many private schools remain closed to students. Teachers in many private schools have an additional week to prepare their lessons for their hand-picked and filtered student bodies.Only public schools work with, and support all students without any barriers to entry. Shouldn’t the state’s best-funded schools work with the neediest students? You don’t need pools to build great schools, and public schools do more with less.Marc Favre, East MalvernNot a cent of public money for private schoolsFraming wealthy private schools as “the biggest losers” over long-overdue funding adjustments is an offensive inversion of reality.The real damage of these institutions goes far deeper than the unfair hoarding of resources. By their very nature, private schools perpetuate an insular, elitist culture that teaches children their worth is defined by privilege and exclusion. This system fosters a mentality that breeds social division and entitlement.Private schooling is a lifestyle choice made by those who can afford it. There is absolutely no justification for everyday taxpayers to subsidise exclusive enclaves that entrench these harmful class divides and reward greed.Not a single cent of public money should ever go to private institutions. Every dollar of government funding belongs exclusively in the public system to ensure a high-quality, equitable education for every child. It is time to end this corporate welfare for the privileged few and ensure that funding is directed to schools that genuinely need it.Tim Singleton Norton, ReservoirInequitable schooling system a disgraceReducing the overfunded School Resource Standard applicable to many private schools is a welcome direction, This reduction, over a three-year period, brings these schools back in line to the legislated funding amount, although many will still be overfunded during this period.If these schools can budget and anticipate this reduction and the federal and state budgets can plan for it, how much better would it be for public education and equity if all public funding was reduced from the private sector over an agreed time frame?That we have an inequitable schooling system in such a wealthy country is a disgrace, your child’s schooling should not be dependent on your postcode.Denise Stevens, St KildaChristian Brothers’ staff should strikeThere is a simple solution to the Christian Brothers/Edmund Rice Education Australia scandal: the staff at these schools go out on strike until the Christian Brothers decide to follow Christ’s teachings and support the victims/survivors of child sexual abuse, perpetrated by members of their congregation.Marie Teague, Ocean GroveTHE FORUMAI on our termsWhy do we allow big business to foist upon us systems which do us harm? Social media has created multi-billionaires and one trillionaire. It has also caused immeasurable harm to many.Surely, as a society we have the power and indeed the responsibility to control its reach. But we have Meta recently telling us it is not its responsibility to prevent illegal content saying it will act only after a complaint. Now AI seems to threaten enormous disruption to our society and to steal people’s work to feed its plastic brain. Just because something can be done does not mean it must be done.A government with courage would use taxes to control these companies. If there is no benefit to society, then why should we allow them to operate. We should decide what companies operate in Australia and the manner in which they operate.Judy Kevill, RingwoodInfo is oursThe government appears to be happy to negotiate with AI companies about how much of our copyright and other data owned by us it will share with them. (″⁣PM readies major AI announcement, but deadlock remains on billion-dollar tech tussle″⁣, 14/7). Yet it tried hard to restrict our access to its information on its own activities in its new Freedom of Information Amendment Bill, fortunately scrapped in March this year.Let’s hope they treat our information, which is not theirs to give away, with the same level of defensive caution they would like to use to exclude us from theirs, even though we should be able to access it.Julia Thornton, Surrey HillsPoor draft picksYour correspondent (Letters,“Move Barnaby to the back pocket”, 14/7) is spot on regarding the One Nation team. However, I think she forgot to add that recruitment has been a problem for Hanson. It would appear that many past and current recruits have spent a fair bit of time at the tribunal re their behaviour on and off the field, and therefore ruled ineligible to play.Julie Chandler, BlairgowriePlayer lacks depthContinuing the AFL metaphor (Letters, 14/7), Barnaby Joyce is lying prostrate in the centre of the muddy MCG after receiving one too many hits to the head and, after his high-profile transfer from a once successful team, has not fulfilled his potential as a former leading player.As for Hanson, her record as a minor opposition player and past history of suspensions for comments about ethnically diverse players, although showing promise in more recent times, has again blotted her copybook. After a recent appearance on the big stage, she has revealed herself to be a player of little depth.Peter Russo, West BrunswickThat’s angertainmentRe “Help or hindrance? GetUp’s gamble on fighting One Nation” by Rob Harris, 14/7. GetUp’s acting CEO Paul Ferris certainly thinks Hanson is a more serious threat than Australia realises, pointing to the UK, Europe and the US. Trump after causing the attack on the Capitol building when he lost to Biden, after being convicted of a felony, promising to go after anyone who criticised him, was still able to convince enough citizens that he was their saviour and get himself re-elected with the help of Fox News.That certainly suggests that One Nation winning government may not be too ridiculous to even think about even though our electoral system is much more robust than in the US. Our politics certainly isn’t.At the National Press Club, Hanson said she had always been angry and Australia had now caught up with her. That unfortunately is true. Australians this century have become angrier with falling rates of social cohesion, the rise of conspiracy theories like the sovereign citizens movement etc.Many believe that a major contributor has been social media algorithms feeding outrage to keep people clicking and that effect may be most marked in the under 40s who mostly don’t read a newspaper and get all their news via the Internet. Ed Coper’s new book “Angertainment” documents this happening. We live in interesting times.Gary Barnes, Mosman, NSWReligion an issueHome Affairs Minister Tony Burke is right to rebuff a push by the Islamophobia envoy to water down the importance of religion and ideology in defining terrorism (“Debate flares over terrorism definition”, 14/7).The problem is that terrorists operating against Western targets claim their acts are inspired, and in many cases required, by Islam.The Independent National Security Legislation Monitor pointed out last August that almost 95 per cent of the 83 sentenced terrorism cases in Australia identified had “religion” as a motivation, with all associated in some way with Islam.It would be ludicrous to hold every Muslim accountable for the acts of a few. But it’s naïve to pretend there’s not a problem of radicalisation and jihadi connections involving some members of the Islamophobia envoy’s faith community.Anthony Bergin, Reid, ACTJournalist deathsYour correspondent (Letters, ″⁣No, they were not journalists″⁣, 13/7) suggests pianist Jayson Gillham and his supporters are misguided as the updated Committee to Protect Journalists report has removed certain individuals from its list of journalists killed by Israel (noting these people were now classified as fighters not media workers).The comment is true, but also very selective. It fails to mention that the quoted report still condemns Israel for killing over 260 journalists in Gaza, Lebanon, Iran and Yemen in recent years. Or that Israel has killed more journalists than any other government over the last 30 years - facts that strongly support Gillham’s position.Chris Phillips, South YarraRenewable dieselStephen Bartholomeusz (“Ukraine’s attacks on Russian refineries could ignite a new energy shock”, 14/7) highlights the looming problem of diesel shortages. I kept waiting for renewable diesel to appear in his discussion of what we might do because it’s a growing industry – just not in Australia.Almost all of our freight transport depends on diesel. Imagine the impact on our economy if supply chains started seizing up. Made from used cooking oil, animal fats, agricultural residues and virgin vegetable oils like palm, soy, canola, renewable diesel is a drop-in replacement for fossil diesel that works in existing engines. Australia exports much of this valuable feedstock to the US, where it is turned into renewable diesel, yet we can’t even buy the finished fuel back.Renewable diesel also gives us a major climate benefit, with lifecycle emissions about 60–90 per cent lower than fossil diesel, depending on the feedstock.It won’t solve every problem, but it could strengthen fuel security, cut emissions and buy valuable time while zero-emission trucking scales up.Carolyn Ingvarson, CanterburyStrait of HormuzThe US said Iran posed no imminent nuclear threat, Obama’s nuclear treaty with Iran was working, the Strait of Hormuz was open and free, Netanyahu pressured Trump to do his dirty work and attack Iran, Iran outsmarts Trump and gains upper hand in conflict, Trump fails to negotiate the same Obama nuclear agreement, Iran charges for use of the Strait, US also now charging for use of the Strait. Stay tuned.Philip James, Hampton EastPatients and carersI am a former registered nurse who left the profession many years ago to retrain in a completely different field. Nursing sick and dying people had taken its physical and emotional toll, as I’m sure it does for many.The voluntary assisted dying (VAD) debate was in its infancy then, but remains an interesting and challenging interest for me. It is wonderful to hear of your correspondent’s husband’s “beautiful death” (Letters, “My choice alone”, 14/7). Such a positive outcome of the program and the fulfilment of its intention to provide an end of life experience in a “pain free, peaceful environment of support, love and respect,” as he stated.However, the issue is far more complex than the decision alone of the patient involved. The medical and nursing staff also unavoidably involved in the process are bound by ethics to ensure they act rightfully within their duty of care, and this maybe a very significant personal, ethical and professional dilemma for some.It is such ethical boundaries which have prevented us falling down a slippery slope of hasty and poor decision-making which does not ensure the best interests of the patient.I feel it is right that thoughtful and well-considered advancements are continuing to be made in this debate and necessary time and great care has been taken in doing so. It would be shameful if in the push for VAD this option had been neglected as an alternative for the terminally ill who do not wish to access assisted dying, an equally valid choice.Christine Harris, MordiallocLitter blitzWhile road maintenance, including pot-hole repairs, is down to various levels of government, picking up rubbish along our roadsides should not be. The responsibility for rubbish-free roadsides is down to drivers who dump rubbish, throw, or allow to be thrown, rubbish from their vehicles, and the lazy, careless, or incompetent drivers who don’t make sure their loads are properly secured. Also down to pedestrians who drop rubbish on footpaths and into gutters.I’d love to see a blitz on litterers.Margaret Callinan, HawthornAND ANOTHER THINGTrumpAfter starting the Iran war, the US now declares itself the ″⁣guardian″⁣ of the Strait of Hormuz for a 20 per cent fee you can get through. Is this an episode of the Sopranos?Greg Malcher, HepburnTrump’s Iran policy seems to be ″⁣anything you can do, I can do better″⁣. Just like any other silly little boy.Denny Meadow, HawthornDonald Trump wants to be “reimbursed” for America’s efforts to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. I think Donald, that if you broke it, you bought it.Tim Wright, Point LonsdaleFurthermoreScientists have detected sugar in space in the centre of the Milky Way. Sweet!Robyn Westwood, Heidelberg HeightsI’m with your correspondent (Letters, 14/7). Bill Posters was innocent and so was Neville Crowe. Every South American soccer team would have been proud of John Nicholls’ simulation.Graeme Gardner, ReservoirWith the sacking of Brendon McCullum as England test cricket coach, can we declare Bazball dead, cremate the body and start a new Ashes tradition? Rather than a tiny perfume bottle, a more fitting “urn” for the Ashes might be a beer can or stubby.Dan McGlade, BrunswickDefacing public sites (the taxpayer pays the cost of the clean up) or private property is no joke. It is vandalism. Those who support Pam the Bird should offer their home for him to deface.Vince Vozzo, ElwoodSo much unites Australians with our Kiwi cousins. No one personifies this more than Sam Neill. A sad loss but a great legacy. Great stories, great humour and great pinot.Mick Hussey, BeaconsfieldVale Barry Dickins. Melbourne will remember a unique Australian playwright, author, artist, actor, educator, and journalist. He was an institution in the Carlton theatre scene. If you met him, you would never forget him.Josephine Byrt, BrunswickThe opinion newsletter is a weekly wrap of views that will challenge, champion and inform your own. Sign up here. From our partners