I WRITE to thank the editor for his stark, truthful words (Seven Days, October 20).
Women feel unsafe in this society and that fear is well founded.
Too many men abuse their physical superiority; refuse to control their anger through personal effort; drink too much and don't care enough.
Our culture is permitting this and it needs to change. As Mr Eales says, almost every adult woman could give real examples from their own experience - he closes with 'what can you do?'
As a social educator I think you can call for a greater priority for education about social relations in schools.
While the Australian Primary Principals Association in its charter for Australian schools puts forward social education as one of its four core subject areas - and the Victorian Essential Learning Standards mandate the area of 'Interpersonal Development': we are yet to see any reference to social education in the Australian curriculum beyond Civics and Citizenship.
In fact the word 'values' is strangely rare in all curriculum documents so far. The government's overwhelming emphasis is on disciplinary learning as a preparation for university.
School-based education needs to be mobilised to change this dangerous and unequal culture of violence that separates men and women.
The time to ask the government to mandate education about social realities and expectations for living in an adult world is now.
Once the Australian curriculum is fixed, alterations will be resisted for years to come.
Linda Zibell
Mount Helen