The annual assessment of teacher quality which is followed in Singapore includes interviews with students and their parents concerning teacher attitudes to the pursuit of excellence.

It would be interesting to read the outcomes of such interviews in many schools in Australia.

We are hampered by many provisions beyond that of teacher tenure (the friend of the lazy) to which Fitzgerald alludes; our public school permanent teachers, for example, have access to long service leave, which costs Australian governments more than a billion dollars a year and creates no educational outcome of any kind.

We are used to the comfortable idea that, because of economic advantages from our past, standards in Australia are superior to Asia.

The days of the validity of that attitude are over.

Last year, for example, the government of NSW let a major contract for the building of trains to a firm in South Korea, rejecting tenders from Australian companies.

So far this century 90 per cent of new patents in the field of technology have gone to Asia, less than 1 per cent to firms in this country.

The front line troops in the quest for the prosperity are our school teachers.

Current approaches are in need of urgent appraisal.

Noel Beddoe, Kiama, NSW.

Graeme McElligot (Letters, January 3) is correct to claim that there are alternative ways of eating. Humans are omnivores but can choose to be anywhere in the range from viviphagy to necrophagy, i.e. from eating food that is alive to eating food that is dead.

Vegetarians tend to viviphagy but often kill their botanical food during cooking.

Flesh eaters tend to necrophagy by ensuring that their zoological food is killed prior to it being cooked. Vegetarians condemn flesh eaters for killing their food prior to cooking it, perhaps they would prefer that such people dieted on oysters au natural.

But they may have a point, the first vertebrates were piscivores, then insectivores, carnivores and finally herbivores.

Are vegetarians more highly evolved?

Peter Snowdon, Aranda

Euthanasia is about providing choice. Death penalty is about punishment. Easy answer to Mr Cornwall's question (Letters, January 9).

Euthanasia allows the individual to have options. Palliative care for as long as it works for them, refusal of food and water (the current legal option), or self administering life-ending drug.

It is not and should never be about ending the family's suffering in a long goodbye. It is about the individual.

Death penalty is a punishment afforded by the legal system.

To compare the two is insulting and disingenuous.

Annette Shaw, Kambah

There has been a flurry of letters to the editor critiquing the roundabout at the junction of the Barton Highway and Gundaroo Drive.

The criticisms are unfounded.

The roundabout is well signed and works as designed. When turning right get into the right-hand lane and expect to stop at a red light. If turning left or going straight ahead, you do not stop.

If you are in a right-turn lane and wish to go straight ahead, merge left.

The intersection is free of shattered glass, and there are no long queues.

Kevin Cox, Ngunnawal

I can't understand all the kerfuffle about cyclists on "shared paths". Why is there so much antagonism towards them when the paths were primarily constructed for their use?

Why are pedestrians so surprised and alarmed by the presence of cyclists that they insist on bells being rung and cyclists slowing down to a walking pace to overtake? Why can't everyone just take responsibility for their own actions (and those of their dogs and children) and keep to the left? It's not rocket science.

Andina Faragher, Macquarie

C. Neurath (letters, January 5) the asylum seekers are already free to go wherever they wish, except Australia.

John Howard stated quite categorically we, and not the people smugglers, would decide who came into the country.

The Manus Island detainees are free to join the countless thousands already waiting to be appropriately processed.

Once they meet the eligibility criteria they are more than welcome to come here legally.

I have no problem with monied queue jumpers being relegated to the back of the waiting list, whilst the patient, long-suffering majority in the camps should be processed more expeditiously and be allowed to move to Australia, or wherever else they may wish to go.

Alex Wallensky, Broulee, NSW

The spate of summer drownings has been tragic but has been particularly exasperating and bewildering for authorities.

That's because they can't resort to their usual-knee-jerk, seen-to-be-doing-something reaction of taxing, fining or banning their way to an ersatz solution.

Consequently, they are going to have to come up with something more considered, targeted and complex in response.

Perhaps this could then serve as a model for other answers to complex behavioural problems.

No, I didn't think so ...

David Jenkins, Casey

While I acknowledge the concern of Brett Odgers (letters, December 12) regarding the location of the beautifully reconstructed Hudson bomber, its historical relevance to the RAAF and to Canberra can't be denied.

As a young chap, I was enthralled by the Hudson's low-level flying appearances over our home in Reid, not to forget the Mitchells, Mosquitos and Mustangs, as they took off and landed on Fairbairn's east-west runway.

Their presence encouraged me to want to fly, to enlist in Canberra's Number 15 Flight, Air Training Corps as a teenager, and later to serve with the RAAF.

This city has yet to give due recognition to another RAAF aircraft with distinguished war service, an aircraft named after this city and one I consider myself very fortunate to have flown in.

The Canberra served with numerous air forces, as well as Australia, including the UK and USA.

April 2017 marks the 50th anniversary of the deployment of No 2 Squadron RAAF Canberra jet bombers, with air and ground crews, to conduct operational missions from Phan Rang air base.

It returned to Australia in July 1971.

It is an appropriate time for the Commonwealth and ACT governments to start planning to have a fully reconstructed and suitably painted Canberra jet on permanent public display.

My suggestion would be on top of Mt Ainslie, overlooking the city it is named after, RAAF Headquarters at Russell, the Australian War Memorial and Fairbairn aerodrome.

Bob Howe, wing commander, RAAF (retired), Chapman

After an initial piqued response, Sussan Ley has been forced to apologise for her Gold Coast trip and expensive purchase and agrees to repay expenses. How pathetic! The word "integrity" springs to mind.

Does anyone really believe she is contrite?

She must be "sacrificed" in the public interest to send a clear message of the community's will.

Politicians generally seem to lose their moral compass when elected; they are well paid but seem to happily abuse the multiple perks of office, including the travel allowance.

The public is sick to death of the government's hypocrisy; the long-standing generous nature, and abuse of, their allowances stands in sharp contradiction to their "economy-necessary" cost saving measures that hit the average Australians.

One suggestion I've heard is that politicians should publicise their dairies; this would help but does not go far enough.

The government has argued for some time that the community has a sense of entitlement that must end.

I would strongly argue the politicians' larger gravy train must end.

Geoff Clark, Narrabundah

The next departmental move should be Health from Canberra to Gold Coast so that staff can be closer to Minister Ley who seems to be there much of the time.

Accommodation for relocated staff; no problem! She looks to be cornering the market in investment properties along the strip.

Add to this access to health benefits for staff and families, so moved, given the number of health facilities she must have opened in her 14 or so visits over recent times.

John Galvin, Weston

It's a bit thick when a government minister thinks it's Ok to pop up to Queensland to buy yet another tax-deductable property and then charge taxpayers for the trip. Resign, Malcolm, you are out of touch with other Australians and so are your ministers.

Audrey Guy, Ngunnawal

I'm not sure that I feel happy about someone who apparently purchases a $795,000 unit on the spur of the moment being in charge of taxpayers money.

K. Kelly, Chifley

Sussan Ley does a Bronwyn Bishop; that's bad.

Malcolm in response does a Tony Abbott; that's unforgivable.

Jeff Bradley, Isaacs

Will the Turnbull government charge Sussan Ley a 10per cent debt recovery fee as it does Centrelink recipients?

Felicity Chivas, Scullin

I am horrified by the cavalier attitude expressed by the minister for Human Services, Christian Porter in relation to the distress being caused by Centrelink's latest system of debt recovery.

He believes the system is working "incredibly well" (January 5, p.4) .

What kind of world is Mr Porter living in where an acknowledged 20 percent error rate is acceptable and the consequences of those "errors" cause such overwhelming distress and anguish?

Annette Gilmour, Melba

As a non-Centrelink client I have received many "scam" emails purportedly from the Department of Human Services, with their logo, asking for financial details. Also phone calls from "Centrelink".

So, with the mail-out from Centrelink Debt Recovery Service — are they all genuine?

I just wonder.

Alison Callan, Holder

Why is that all public buildings, clubs, shopping centres, at doctors and everywhere you find toilets only a child could use?

Old people with bad knees and tall people are not considered.

They are too low for me to sit down and then try and get up from with my poor legs.

Raise the height so we can get up once we sit down.

Edna McLean, Weston

From his recent support for oddballs, why hasn't Victoria's Premier Andrews dismissed concerns about young detainees at Parkville with, "they were only expressing themselves"?

Barrie Smillie, Duffy

WRONG HEADLINE

Wrong choice of headline ("Summernats death", Saturday, January 7, p.1). On page two the headline "Kylie shows car buffs how it's done" I believe to be a lot more appropriate.

Michael Attwell, Dunlop

The headline ("Fans unfazed by tragedy", December 8, p.1) did not take into account its impact on Luke Newsome's family and friends.

Ed Dobson, Hughes

BACK TO NORMAL

With General Gatot seeming to have had a Bex and a good lie down, and Australia assuming its most nimble genuflecting mode, the gossamer that binds us and Indonesia should be back to full strength in no time.

M. F. Horton, Adelaide, SA

BIKE ESCAPE

If the hit and run bike ("Call for witnesses", January 8, p.3) had been registered with a visible number, plate, and seen by a witness, he might now be facing charges. Lucky it wasn't fatal.

Norman Lee, Weston

CHEERING THE RAM

Re "I for one would not recommend a visit to Canberra ... a better alternative would be Goulburn." (Letters, January 7). And Goulburn has the Big Ram!

Jack Palmer, Watson

TILIKUM IS FREE

After three decades of misery in captivity the orca Tilikum is finally free.

RIP Blackfish, you shone a light on a cruel industry based on the enslavement of wild animals for human entertainment.

Chris Doyle, Gordon

A WORD FROM BARNABY

These days Barnaby is the federal government's foremost explainer, have we entered the age of joysplaining?

Matt Ford, Crookwell

HOMES DON'T PAY BILLS

Mark Sproat (letters, January 6) can't believe that someone owning a $10 million house isn't rich with lots of other assets. Has he never heard of "Asset Rich and Cash Poor". Lots of people have lovely homes but struggle to pay the bills.

Pamela Fawke, Dunlop

PAULINE, CALL MAL

Pauline please give Malcolm a ring tell him how to sack recalcitrant party members. Not hard.

Brian Fox, Wangaratta, Vic

FLAGGING INTENT

Is now a good time to buy an American Flag to display upside down on January 20; Trump's inauguration day?

Charles Woodhouse, Civic

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