Congratulations to the esteemed Michael Kirby for speaking out in support of ongoing investment in public and private education. Australia's multicultural community and a large proportion of the mainstream community rely on high quality public education to shape a prosperous future for themselves and for Australia. In particular newly arrived migrants, indigenous people and the unemployed have no other option than to go to public schools. With the deregulation of higher education fees even middle class Australians may be priced out of good quality public education.

Michael I did not see any reference to your kids going to a public school. Perhaps your experience is a little distant to be really valuable.

I did see a reference to Gonski, another reason to doubt your recent experience or to worry you may have rose coloured glasses obscuring your vision.

My kids are recent, [5 years] graduates of public schools. My lady also started as a P&C volunteer the school textbook hire scheme at our school, saving parents quite a bit of money, while injecting $170,000 a year into its coffers. This she ran 6 hours a day for 10 years while I was P&C treasurer.

From this close perspective & can say Gonski is nothing but a lefty joke. Our schools will only continue to slide below mediocrity while they are controlled by the teachers union. We now have the largest sheltered workshop group on earth in our schools.

My kids could not have achieved what they did without a great deal of home support, & high level coaching where we could not help, or in fact produce the work in the NEW feminist way.

At least 20% of the teachers were incompetent, could not have done the work they were supposed to be teaching. Math & science were being taught by teachers who could not even do the work.

Until we take back our schools from the union, anymore money spent will be totally wasted. If we don't get rid of the bottom 20% of teachers, there is no hope for our kids.

Take off those rose coloured glasses, & have a look at the real world, outside those selective schools you so admire.

The only real difference between the past you praise, & today, with more money, equipment, facilities & smaller classes is the quality of the teachers.

It really is time to get off the political bandwagon, grow up & call it as it is. Stuffed by Labor & the union.

Hi there HASBEEN...

Actually Kirby's siblings all attended public schools, therefore one might properly describe them all, as from humble beginnings ? Kirby's father was a marvellous hard working man of great character equally his mother a dignified lady who did her best to bring up the four children quite successfully in my opinion. Further it's my understanding Kirby's brother David is or was, a Barrister, and I'm not sure what either Donald or Diana his other siblings choose vocationally ?

It's Kirby himself that I have little or no respect for, however this is neither the forum, or the appropriate Topic in which to articulate my reason(s) for my position and views on the man himself ?

Hasbeen on another thread, you have already been found out, to not have the creditable knowledge to comment on others!

o sung wu you made a comment of your "lack of respect" to Michael Kirby.
By that comment it would indicate you have an ulterior motive, of not clarifying your opinion of Michael Kirby.
With respect, that is a cowards way of demeaning a person without evidence or fact.

Kipp,
I could never take to Kirby because he is not a true representative of our society & I therefore conclude that he was not fit to hold the positions (in public life that is) that he was in.
It was whilst he was the highest Judge in the land that some pretty incompetent & unfair Law & Order reigned.
If you can tell me that the CJC in Qld was outside Kirby's jurisdiction then I take some of my words back.