True costs being exposed

drivers had begun to resign in the past two weeks because they could no longer afford it.

Even though we've offered more petrol vouchers, I think they felt that the whole cost - the maintenance of the car and everything else about providing that service - is just beyond them

With the sharply rising cost of living, volunteers are looking very closely at their expenses, so much that their much valued service to our communities is being curtailed.

Similarly, parents are increasingly querying school 'donations' so necessary to day-to-day functioning of the long known not so free education at schools.

Principals:

It's one of the most dishonest things the Government's doing, saying education is free. We are having to fund more and more.

The model we're using to fund education is not working.

Education Minister Chris Carter:

"Every school is adequately funded but schools choose to raise funds from their community," he said. "Some principals are being, I won't say dishonest, but disingenuous when claiming half of their funds come from the community.

"It gets to a time when you've got to stop moaning and start teaching."

Good to see the government is on the case with its normal mantra of deny and denigrate. I would expect nothing less. Maybe if schools were actually fully funded, there would be no statutory management army of bureaucrats siphoning even more money out of the education cake. God forbid, teachers, instead of worrying about how to keep their jobs in an underfunded politically charged market, might actually begin to teach the 3R's.

In these hardening economic times, as recession bites early in the upcoming winter of discontent, those who try to lead us will exposed for their true costs.