It may well be that students from the private sector achieve higher ENTER results but that is not the ultimate aim of education. One might also ask, do the private schools students out perform or indeed, do more of them successfully complete their courses at the tertiary level. Indeed, how do they perform in the vocational area. There are more people employed in jobs requiring university degrees.

David
(ex government school student)

Go on say it vouchers, in the end for Kevin its got nothing to do with providing good education outcomes for all Australian kids. It's about finding new souls to save. One look at his website shows it's all about christainity.

Good question, David. I have seen data that seems to indicate that what you are suggesting (some private school kids don't do as well at Uni as their ATAR would indicate) is indeed the case. However, it also indicates that many selective school students under-perform as well.

My theory regarding this would be to do with the amount of tutoring I know many children receive to get into both private and selective schools. In many cases this tutoring continues all the way through. The only way they make it through, is with intensive assistance. Come uni, the assistance stops, and so do they...

I realise that's simplistically put but it gives the general picture.

I don't see any objective analysis in the part 2, of a very subjective article, which seems to be arguing for religion and or the right to keep imprinting students, with a entirely unprovable religious belief?
I went to several catholic schools as a kid, and found myself subjected to routine religious indoctrination, even as science was being taught, allegedly?
Fortunately, I was something of a rebel, a bookworm, inherently independent and critical thinker, and dropped out at the earliest opportunity, to avoid being indoctrinated, by bible banging fanatics? Even so, I seriously considered, "religious orders", until I turned 18 and discovered the impossible to resist pulling power of sexual attraction or hormones!
While I'm sure the fanatical fringe are not as prevalent or as exposed these days, they may well be just as active, and just as determined to "mould" young minds, before they are able to think critically or objectively.
I think there is a place for religion and religious teaching inside society, just not inside our schools and imposed on a "information absorbing" hostage audience?
Yes sure, lets expose our kids to religion, all off them, but only after they have learned to think critically and objectively!
With every word this Author pens, he reinforces in me, an inherent belief in universal state based education, and equality of opportunity and funding, as the best education model!
If that was indeed his intention, then job well done!
Rhrosty

It might not be the schools themselves but the people send their kids to them. People choose private over public because they think it's better for their child: the may be right or wrong but they have thought about the various options which shows they have an interest in their child's education. These sort of parents will try to foster education in the home environment and take a greater role in the school community. These things are obviously going to help reinforce what the school itself is doing.

Deadbeat parents who don't care about their child's education as anything more than a convenient child-minding service while they spend the day at the pub do not way up the relative merits of private vs. public schooling: they send their child to the nearest public school because it's free. They don't foster education in the home environment and they don't engage with the school community. It's not a case of the private schools excluding the hard cases: the hard cases often exclude themselves. And end up in the public system where they drag down the average.

For the kids who are engaged and whose parents are not deadbeats and have chosen public schooling because they think it is better for their child I think public schools probably offer the same quality of education that could be achieved at most private schools. Higher than the quality of education offered at some of those nutty religious schools where they prteach - the 't' is silent - that evolution is a lie.

Cheers,

Tony
(ex government school student)

I have to agree with Tony Lavis - up to a point

Many parents who send their kids to government schools are as passionate about education as private school parents; but many are not.

On the other hand almost all parents who send their kids to private schools have a strong interest in their children's education.

So when you compare private school outcomes with those of government schools you are not comparing like with like.