The idea that private schools get 80% or 90% of the funding of public schools and therefore the government saves money for every child that goes to private school is based on the assumption that it costs the same amount to educate every child. The private schools know very well that it doesn’t cost the same to educate every student because when they get a difficult case they quickly ship him out to the public schools. Which kids that don’t pay their fees stay at Private schools? Which kids who disrupt classes stay at Private schools? How many teen pregnancies, child abuse and violent stepfather problems do Private schools handle? At the first whiff of “you’re not one of us” the questionable kids get kicked out. Public schools don’t have that option. They have to take everybody and they have to do as well as they can no matter what troubles the kid has.

The idea that a kid can get a good education no matter what his problems are, even when his parents aren’t too great, is one of the best things about our culture. Everybody gets a fair go is a very Australian concept and a wonderful part of the way we are.I hope public schools stay strong and can attract the best teachers and administrators because educating our children is the most important job we have to do, to ensure that Australia stays great and can help the world solve its zillion problems in the future.

I don't imagine for a moment that teachers in the State system would have any truck with the outrageous, one-eyed advocacy of this article. Most teachers are aware of the wedge politics that are played in education as elsewhere to avoid transparency, modern improvements and perhaps above all, adequate funding for necessary assets and curriculums.

That is my criticism of articles like this, that they divert attention from the real issues like funding and seek to disrupt the co-operation that is occuring between State and private schools. In my area alone, two large secondary schools, one public and one Lutheran, regularly share sporting fields and swimming pools. The public school for example has been devoid of a swimming pool forever, despite promises by the education department and politicians. However the public school is blessed with acreage for sports, but only because the area is flood land for a creek that is largely piped (a sad comment on the treatment of water features by government as well). Otherwise the 'surplus' land would have been sold by government years ago as has happened to many public schools that now have the restricted sporting and recreation space of a London school.

Through voluntary work for both schools I have watched with joy and a great deal of satisfaction as the frank and helpful cooperation blossoms between the schools. There are people like me who want this public school to be the first private public school. Its management is more enlightened and hard-working than the ham-fisted, paper-pushing bureaucrats that fill the education department high-rise in the metro cbd could ever contemplate.

One of the problems of responding to this article, as SM and others might agree, is that in doing so one inevitably lends some credence to the outrageous rhetoric and claims therein. That is a problem, but the good work of both State and private school teachers and managers needs to be defended and uncommitted readers need to understand there is a bigger game - fly with the eagles and seek a smarter, better way. Sniping is a downer, wasteful and de-motivating.

Amicus,

"..the parents of those kids pay more tax than you could ever even imagine...." is a very generalised statement.

Chances are that after mummy drops little Tristan off at school in the Range Rover, she's on her way out to spend her Family Allowance Supplement - paid to her because daddys business earns so little profit.

I've got no problem with her owning the Range Rover but I can't see why I have to help pay for some of it.

It's her choice to buy one - it's not an entitlement and it's actually the other taxpayers who pay for much of her childrens education and only get what's left over for their own.

Individual student subsidy is one thing but huge taxpayer handouts to the individual schools are another.

That's what evil socialism does for them - subsidises their personal choices.

Are you claiming such parents are victims?

I see most subscribe to the theory of divide and conquer. Where there is unity the blessing Is. All contribute to the Whole for we need farmers and fishermen, doctors and lawyers, the butcher, the baker,and the candle stick maker.
A kids story on who is the greatest! One day the eye looked down from his great height and said to the rest of the body "I am above you lot", the backside let out a rude noise and the nose said "you stink" , "are yes" replied the backside "if I don't work you all die". United we stand, divided we fall, and pride precedes the fall.

ritchie 10 - omg that's so clever, if only you could get everyone to subscribe, worldwide .. that's the solution to all our problems, if only we would listen to such things.

Your are missing the point Shadow Minister, private school shouldn't receive any subsidy from the taxpayer...they should fund themselves.