Perhaps the current staff that are calling for strike action have not had the opportunity of seeing the brilliantly educated graduates in engineering and information technology from India or the maths and science students that emerge these days from China to head medical, financial and educational institutions worldwide.

The 21st century will be the most challenging our children will see and if their teachers feel they are not qualified to cope with a new direction maybe they should take time out and upgrade their skills.

Salary negotiations in any workplace are conducted based on qualifications and performance. And in good faith.

It might be time also for the union leader to investigate the world outside Tasmania and upgrade their specific knowledge of teaching negotiations.

In the US teachers are employed by their particular county and are required to upgrade their skills each semester in order to have both salary and tenure confirmed.

In Finland all teachers have qualifications that match their high salaries - but their students' results reflect their teaching ability .

If the current unhappy teachers can't reach a satisfactory agreement, there is a significant number of UB qualified teachers in Asia who would be delighted to move to Tasmania.

Pamela Kent, Glengarrie, NSW.

I WOULD like to comment on the proposal to move the berthing facility for the Spirit of Tasmania to Geelong.

As a frequent user of the line I feel this is a positive move. We have found that the conditions at Pier are inadequate. The road has curb side parking frequently in use by locals, particularly in the summer when there are morning and evening sailings. Caravan, cars with trailers, as well as ordinary sedans frequently blocking the parked vehicles. Added to this the site of the berth is basically at the end of the road. Trying to access the area in the evening peak hour is a nightmare.

I have to say that leaving in the morning is a snap, we are always in Seymour in record time having a fantastic breakfast at Araminta's.

Kaye Grange, Hillwood.

ACCORDING to the RACT (The Examiner, March 11), petrol margins between the wholesale price and the retail price in Tasmania range between 25 to 30 cents per litre. This profit margin was before the recent OPEC dispute, which resulted in the oil price dropping by 30 per cent.

The aforementioned motoring body believes a fair and reasonable profit margin per litre to be between 12 to 15 cents, otherwise Tasmanian motorists are considered to be price gouged at the bowser.

Kenneth Gregson, Swansea.

AH, real progress on this issue when an insider advocates amalgamations.

Break O'Day mayor Mick Tucker (The Examiner, March 9) proposes boundary adjustments as an instrument of amalgamation.

His example, adding Bicheno and Coles Bay to Break O'Day makes good sense, recognising population flows.

I am sure there are other such adjustments possible.

Riverside becoming part of Launceston, Oatlands joining its northern neighbours in the Midlands and so on.

We are told there are substantial economies with amalgamations and people generally support the concept.

Let us build on that with real action.

Dick James, Launceston.

MICK Tucker's opinion piece in (The Examiner, March 9) is something of a game changer. As the mayor of a small but vibrant council he speaks with considerable authority when calling for change.

No doubt the naysayers and status quo-ists are banging on his door telling him just how deluded he is.

That's the way of the world if you're an advocate for change.

Importantly, Mick Tucker recognises and acknowledges the need for change and he is stepping up to the plate.

It is just possible that he has been restrained and more cautious that he might be.

The Tasmanian Local Government Act 1993 is way past its use-by-date.

Arguably, it is well beyond band aid treatment or the odd tinker here and there to bring it into 21st century relevance.

Local governance in Tasmania with about half a million people and 29 councils needs a 'root and branch' revision - reinvention actually.

The world has moved on and the people of Tasmania 'invest' several billion dollars per annum and they are not getting the appropriate social and cultural dividends commensurate with their investment.

For instance, 'participatory democracy' is not being considered it seems and well it might be.

Rather, it seems, there is a preference for a patched-up version of the status quo.

Ronald Reagan called that out well when he said, "the status quo is simply Latin for the mess we are in".

It is way past time for fundamental change.

Ray Norman, Launceston.