Next you will be telling us NGS should be able to teach creation science instead of the real thing. If you actual valued education for all then you would still be teaching at a government school be a member of the teachers union and be trying to change on the inside. Read the article by Gregory Melleuish on this site there is a need right wingers in Academe.

No child's education should be dependant on the Childs parents ability to pay you would have it otherwise, mustn't let the scum rise above their station.

Well said Dr Donnelly …

Who killed Kenny !? Or at least his ability to reason …

Perhaps it was the very system described by Dr Donnelly in a previous article titled “Beware education's gender agenda - it's not just for Play School” at http://onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=2287

Kenny at least got one thing right - "No child's education should be dependant on the child's parents ability to pay". Although Kenny's solution is for all children to be taught how to not spell, not think for themselves, not be able to add and subtract. It's pretty bad when a parent has to send their child to private school just so they can get a decent education. And now, because parents are abandoning the politically correct, ideologically driven government school system, the government feel the need to legislate private schools in an attempt to drag them down to the same pathetic levels as themselves. It would never occur to these nitwits to try and raise their own standards.

It infuriates me when people like Kenny assume that everyone who goes to private schools have rich parents. My wife's parents put all of their four children through private schools. He was a government meat inspector and she worked at a Shell roadhouse. They both took on second jobs to make ends meet. They certainly weren't rich and neither are the vast majority of people who send their kids to non-government schools. Who can blame parents for wanting the best education for their kids? Especially when the government system is failing dismally.

If the best education outcomes for children were the driving force behind government curriculum rather than left wing ideology then maybe more parents would feel comfortable sending their kids to government schools. Government should be trying to bring their schools up to the educational standards of non-government schools instead of regulating to bring independant schools down to their own pathetic levels.

If you believe that govt schools are ideologically driven, politically correct, incompetent, etc., then the arguments about deregulation might work as a means of damage control.

If you take the far more realistic view, which is that a) ideology doesn't affect government schools to any noticeable degree, and b) schools' success is proportional to socioeconomic background, so govt schools do, on average, as expected -- then the risks of deregulation far outweigh the advantages.

If a school receives govt. funding, then the school should be required to attain at the very least, the same exit standards as govt. schools. Investigation every 6 years is reasonable. After all, a school generation occurs every 6 or 7 years for primary level, and every 5 or 6 years at secondary school.

Why is it natural to assume attained standards in govt. schools result from ideology, or inability to sack teachers or any other external measure?

Parents like myself choose non-govt. because their facilities are better funded. Reading books are modern and plentiful. money is spent on teacher's supplies, classroom materials and buses for sporting trips and excursions.

If anything, there is more ideology in private schools, as most of them are faith-based and teach their own philosophy /ideology in respected class time.

Assuredly, the govt.school curriculum should be cutting edge...ideally. None of us function in ideal conditions, whether it be our families, workplaces or society in general. Why should our schools be the one place where the ideal is attainable?

I justify my choice to use a private school because I have a bright, intelligent child who deserves access to adequately funded education. Unfortunately, our local state schools can't offer that.

Blaming curriculum is a smoke-screen.

A recent OEDC report found that Australian ed standards were world class and higher then both the US and UK. The report also showed that the was not much difference between Gov schools and non. inbredisco can you point out where I said all people who went to NGS were rich. I think the only thing Seeker is seeking is confirmation of his/hers own beliefs not understanding.