David Leary of Newtown, intrigued by how a lot the HSC could have modified since he accomplished it in 1983, checked out this 12 months’s examination timetable and seen smartwatches and cellphones on the listing of banned objects. “However in 2026, college students are nonetheless allowed to make use of last-century know-how akin to a pair of compasses, a protractor, set sq. and even a chunk of string for exams like geography. That received me occupied with issues that college students had been allowed to convey into exams in my day. I bear in mind the weirdest one was in a midterm examination at UNSW when a pupil was allowed to usher in a Sony Walkman to take heed to a tape of chicken noises to assist her focus within the examination. Anybody else born final century bear in mind something bizarre like that from their exams?”
Donald Hawes of Peel famous “that college students with very immigrant-style names had been taking on Superior English. Hopefully, a few of the fourth-generation Australian illiterates would possibly undertake their instance.”
“To maintain my mind lively as I method a pleasant outdated age, I’ve been educating myself to fluently say Mark Nawaqanitawase,” admits Geoff Goodfellow of Moss Vale. “Three weeks on and I’m doing an exquisite Mark.”
“Sure, Edward Loong (C8), I did attend faculty at Marist Brothers, Parramatta, within the late fifties,” experiences Barry Wooldridge of Harden. “I feel you had been a 12 months forward of me, and maybe a classmate of one in every of my three brothers, Invoice, Peter and Terry. Your loved ones was well-known and regarded within the district. Your contributions to Column 8 and Letters are at all times an satisfying tonic.”
“If Janice Creenaune (C8), takes meals to her daughter’s bogong-themed Halloween get together, will she be carrying the moth-er load?” asks Caz Willis of Bowral.
It’s time to shelve the “shevelled” dialogue (C8), and to farewell the enjoyable, we’ve got Rob McPaul of Thirroul: “With the plethora of contributions like ‘couth’, ‘kempt’ and ‘shevelled’, I’m stunned nobody has introduced up ‘ruth’. A gorgeous phrase and applicable for the variety of ladies I’ve identified who’ve been Ruth by identify and ‘ruth’ by nature. I’d like to see extra ‘ruth’ behaviour in our society and fewer ruthless behaviour.”
“In response to Tony Early (C8), the Roosters had been poultry in movement on the Grand Last,” observes John Ure of Mount Hutton. “However I don’t recall them incurring many fowls through the sport.”
Column8@smh.com.au
No attachments, please.
Embrace identify, suburb and daytime cellphone.