@rush in my experience, hospital systems are extremely callous in how women experiencing pregnancy loss are treated, particularly if the loss is early. Something along the lines of: you're fine physically, how you feel is irrelevant. A bit like birth trauma, really.
@snorks I would agree if the system itself wasn’t an absurd relic of a time where people weren’t casually employed with wildly varying incomes across the year. You can update your info as often as it changes and still end up with a debt. It’s a stupid system and makes it hard to budget. I’m looking forward to when my youngest goes to school and I don’t need to deal with this [email protected]“& anymore!
A lot of people will die. That’s what will happen if lockdown “doesn’t work” aka people don’t comply.
@snorks hearing that warms my cold, cynical heart.
@cat a local catholic school in Brisbane. This was a while ago - hopefully things have changed over time.
@snorks I’m not talking about pulling funding from one school in the sector. I’m advocating pulling funding from the entire sector where ridiculous things like this happen without any consequence and accountability because of the way the sector is structured.
@mustlovebooks I feel your pain with the cost of allergy friendly food. Dairy, egg and nut allergy in our house and I’ve gotten to the point where I just accept that our grocery bill will be absurd and budget for it. God bless the vegans though - options for allergy friendly convenience food have exploded, even if they’re expensive!
@cat I’ve certainly come across faith based schools who discriminate against students on the basis of their parents’ sexuality.
@ak87 your sons hypothetical future reaction to this scenario is not relevant. I think everyone here agrees that what took place was misogynistic and distasteful. I’m curious as to your thoughts as to WHY a non-governmental school might provide, in your words, “better and safer” education? What factors do you think influence the school quality? How do you think the system could be changed so that all students can access an education of equal quality as your son? To me, your anecdote highlights, rather than refutes, the fundamental inequality and unfairness of school funding in Australia.
@laura__palmer the lack of regulation is actually my biggest complaint. If this were a public school, the education department would have the authority to terminate the staff involved. But we have a situation where private schools are taking a disproportionate piece of the funding pie AND with zero accountability for how the money is used. It’s absurd.
@snorks it wouldn’t be necessary to. The Education Department would have the authority to terminate employment of those involved in a way that they don’t with non-government schools. My objection to public monies going to private schools is not only about taxpayers funding the sort of nonsense in this article, but the fact that state education departments can exert very little influence on non-government schools (particularly grade 10 and under). Pulling public funding from non-government schools is one of the very few ways to serve consequences for them not meeting community standards. I don’t think it is in the public interest (which is what public monies are supposed to be for) for private schools to be allowed to create their own little bubbles of regressive cultural norms without repercussion and money (or lack therof, in this case) talks.
@snorks I would agree with you if this was the only example of misogynistic behaviour displayed by someone associated with this type of school in recent memory... but it isn’t.
@maree absolutely agree. Stories like this are why I am enormously grateful to have had access to our local birth centre and midwifery-led care.
@cat absolutely. The vaccination rollout here (and the relatively low uptake) is an embarrassment. Think of what many people in India and other parts of the world would give to easily access a covid vaccination.
@snorks maybe it’s about time that people took individual responsibility their own well-being. The reality is that without vaccinations, borders (state and international) can’t open. And borders can’t stay closed indefinitely. What then?
@snorks Do you think the recent Melbourne lockdown affected people’s ability to go about their lives? Because that’s what happens when there’s a cluster. Who knows what will happen as a result of the bright spark in NSW.
@cat thank you! I can’t believe the extent to which we need to mollycoddle people. I’m sick of ignorant conspiracy theorists constantly causing public health emergencies unnecessarily. It’s like they think cause and effect doesn’t apply to them. Utterly selfish. I would be so ashamed of myself!!
@smart cookie selfish. I take issue with the description of the couple “unknowingly” being infectious. They were from a hotspot! As rush said, there was so much they could have done to minimise the risk to others, and they didn’t.
@km I don’t think you would be saying this if you were a hospitality worker in Melbourne this weekend... some compassion for those who are bearing the brunt of this wouldn’t go astray!
Getting older is better than the alternative!! I like her perspective.