Letters to the editor | February 9, 2021

Direct retention data collection ceased in Tasmania in 2015 when the Hodgman government sacked Guaranteeing Futures staff as part of the 266 employees culling of teacher numbers. From 2008 to 2012 it showed 45.7 per cent, 48.0 per cent, 50.8 per cent, 55.9 per cent and 58.0 per cent direct retention rates in those consecutive years.

Apparent retention is the politicians' Clayton's measure.

It's the measure you make when you are not making a measure.

If there are 5000 students in a year 10 cohort and there are 5000 in the year 12 cohort two years later then the apparent retention rate is 100 per cent.

Mary however might not be one of them as she may have dropped out of school, gone interstate or passed away.

No-one investigates this anymore.

Tasmania's apparent retention rate increase to 80.4 per cent in 2019 may have been through increased movements of independent or Catholic-educated students transferring across to our colleges, more Asian student enrolments in years 11 or 12 or an increase in Tasmania's population through immigration during this period.

Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff's claim (The Examiner, February 1) that it is the result of his government's controversial extension to year 12 high school program is just smoke and mirrors.

THE Federal Court's decision to allow the ongoing logging of old growth forests here in Tasmania modelled around the Federal Court's words "there is a balance between jobs and the environment " is ludicrous and outrageous.

There is more revenue raised in third world countries that supports families via the illegal poaching of rhinoceros and wild elephants. This is akin to our native forests in regards to becoming extinct, and here you have in a developed country a ruling that does, without any doubt, confirm this decision is irresponsible and reckless. It therefore would have to come from someone who supports the illegal slaughtering of these majestic animals.

All in the name of the almighty dollar as is with the case with our native forests, which will literally prove to be at the end of the day the "mother of all paradoxes".

For the record, I personally support forestry practices along with the grazing of beef and lamb and Tasmanian Atlantic salmon, as well as plantation grown timber.

THE awarding of Margaret Court to the highest level of Australia Day Awards as an afterthought because Rod Laver held one is a national disgrace and now it appears a leakage occurred.

If equity is an issue, where is Evonne Goolagong so we have an Indigenous person and much loved.

Court is seen as an anti-gay hater and not representative of today's Australia even if she is our PM's persuasion.

Time for awards councils to change to modern-day thinking and togetherness "we are one". Well done Kerry O'Brien on refusing his award due to the Court promotion.

GREAT news that a proposal to upgrade UTAS Stadium has been put forward by the City of Launceston council.

Reading the proposed upgrade I couldn't see any wording about upgrading the antiquated public catering facilities, the one thing that is sadly lacking at our major sporting facility.

THE first item on the news this evening was with regard to the coroner giving a scathing report on the state of our failing health system.

Then we come to plans for a $208 revamp for UTAS stadium to make it suitable for holding a multitude of events.

The mayor was earnestly stating that we need a 27,000 seat capacity in the hopes that we could have our own AFL team.

For heaven's sake, health is the most important thing for all of us, and our council is casting its net far and wide to garner money for what would amount to another sporting venue.

It's about time people who handle our money use it to benefit all of us and not in some grandiose scheme.

AS LONG as they provide parking for the visitors, I'm all for this redevelopment.

Invermay is becoming the centre of Launceston, so the more upgrades, the better.

One big hurdle will be traffic congestion, especially where the university roundabout is, over the bridge.

They need to relocate the entrance to the uni further down Invermay Road or from Foster Street.

IT DOES appear that the wheels of local government turn slowly.

I read in (The Examiner, February 6) that our York Park [UTAS Stadium] and surrounding areas, such as the old velodrome may be turned into a complete sporting complex.

I'm so pleased that my suggestions for this have finally materialised.

In September 2019 a letter of mine was printed in The Examiner with the idea that we remodel York Park into a sporting complex. I further suggested a multi-storey car park in Willis Street, and keep the bridge now being constructed for pedestrians.

Pleasing that some of the seeds I planted have now grown.