What's the point in having a federal minister for education if he is powerless?

Instead of fussing about republicanism, we should be pushing for the abolition of the states. Our system does not work any more.

"When we say we want education to be secular, the word doesn't just mean that it shouldn't entrench any religion, we mean that it should be evidence-based and materialistic, teaching facts and methods of rational analysis." A sound analysis of a more or less traditional basis for educating our children. Trouble is, history shows that many have always disagreed with it and think that education should be the way of turning their own offspring, as well as the offspring of other folk, into more or less clones of themselves. That division will remain a persistent social split. So the problem is deep: how to eliminate the inevitably divided popular opinion on the purpose of education as a basis for curriculum. This will always involve a power struggle. Rational parents are now losing. Continuing articulation of the secular basis for curriculum as this piece wisely argues is certainly needed. But I fear it won't be enough.

Alan Tudge is not powerless, ttbn, he holds the funding purse.
It is always interesting to hear the comments of those who have no background in education, other their own brief schooling a decade or two ago, who insist that they have the answer to whatever question is being asked.
I look forward to hearing the comments of those with many years in the classroom: them I will listen to, neophytes I will ignore.

I believe I mostly agree with this, Graham. The dumping of phonetics has had disastrous consequences for a huge body of students!

And militant unions have made competence in the classroom subservient to other control issues. And that same body spreading fear over the spectre of teacher competency revealing examinations!?

Not ever in our time has there been more fixing of what ain't broke nor more untested and unproven intellectual concepts ben foisted on our children by alleged teachers than now?

And to the point where or kids are little more than lab rats being gromed to fear tests that where no bother to previous generations who understood they were no more than a useful tool to establish who needed extra help and with what subject matter.

I get that teachers should teach an have admin duties done by other qualified staff!

High performing schools have by comparison, less militant, unionised teachers in their classrooms! And have more focus on learning to learn and critical thinking? The core role of education!?

And where the best, most attention-getting, classrooms are invariably outdoors!
Alan B.

"Alan Tudge is not powerless, ttbn, he holds the funding purse".

Then he is useless. He is also ignorant. I have contacted him twice to ask what he intends to do instead of just bellyaching with Andrew Bolt about the situation. No response.

Given your smartarse remarks, I don't think too many people will be listening to to you either, Brian.

Dear Alan B,

You write:

"And militant unions have made competence in the classroom subservient to other control issues. And that same body spreading fear over the spectre of teacher competency revealing examinations!?"

Given we have charged to having over a third of our students now attending private schools this is hardly going to support your contention. Indeed it really does flag this as the reason for our declining standards.