Every day, we publish a selection of your emails in our newsletter. We’d love to hear from you, you can email us at yoursay@theconversation.edu.au.Monday May 25The reality for teachers“This year will be my 20th year teaching and will probably be my last due to the increasing abuse me and my fellow teachers are having to put up with because of the funding cut to disability support. This year I have been attacked five times by a middle primary student in my class who needs 1:1 support, but can’t have it because they have been called ‘too complex’. The funding they had was cut down this year. Violence is escalating, students are in fear, staff are burnt out and no one can do anything to help because we don’t have funding. This isn’t an anomaly. I have had at least one student per year in this situation, and currently there are at least five students over the primary school in the same boat. Teachers did not sign up for this! We shouldn’t be expected to be the parents, support workers, counsellors, behaviour specialists, and more! The system needs to stop relying on the good will of teachers and school support officers because we care about the kids. Cutting funding and making it even harder to get support in schools is going to add another straw to an already broken back.”Name withheldSmaller homes, better design“Some of us baby boomers aspire to downsize our homes but this is not always possible. Young people who want to move to a larger house will have the burden of stamp duty while those of us who wish to downsize are offered newly built homes with floor plans that don’t consider aspects for older people and are often two stories (which isn’t great when one eventually needs a walker!) Older people want to downsize, not downgrade. Building well-designed smaller homes would possibly be snapped up by young families as well as baby boomers.”Noelene Bearns, Narrawallee Tuesday May 26On the taxpayer’s dime“Thanks for a very informative article on how massive cost blowouts have become an almost inevitable part of huge projects funded by taxpayers. I am one taxpayer who rightfully deplores the mismanagement of these projects, and I welcome Professor Ahiaga-Dagbui’s suggested three changes that Australia could make to reduce cost blowouts and perhaps even lead to a halcyon time when projects come in under budget. He also suggests that Australia could start with a three-fold approach: ensure that decisions are made in the right order; that there is an independent authoritative body with oversight removed from political persuasion or interference and that transparency becomes the norm rather than a novel idea to be avoided at all costs. As a taxpayer I would want the ‘could’ changed into ‘should’, or preferably ‘must’.”Maggie Woodhead, Ballajura WATimmy the Whale“Thank you Vanessa Pirotta for your clear-eyed investigation of the death of Timmy the Whale. As someone whose education in environmental matters has taken years to mature, and still needs some even at the age of 86, I value the clear, disinterested explanation of what is really relevant when looking at an issue like this.”Judy Hardy-HoldenA baby boomer’s POV“Later this year I turn 80! For me, a white, Australian, heterosexual male of moderate intelligence and a share of generational good luck, it’s been an era of privilege. And now I am experiencing perhaps the greatest privilege of all: I have the time, the interest and the wherewithal to look back over my life and wring from it all the joys of hindsight. I have my scars of course, but I can only give thanks, even for my wounds. And if now some of my privilege is taken away to benefit others, particularly my children and grandchildren, I will not complain. I feel I’ve had my go, and done my share.”Bruce Cumming