Flo,
Are you suggesting that all children that live with single mothers are disadvantaged or deprived?

No, not all children.

Normally about 50%.

80% will be welfare dependant, and up to 25% will become homeless at some point.

Those are the normal statistics for a number of countries.

The majority of disadvantaged children do come from single parent families, and it is interesting that I have never once heard any academic in Australia speak positively about marriage.

Yet they complain about disadvantaged children.

longweekend58
“A question that is rarely, if ever asked is would public education improve if public funding was increased by say 30%.”

There would be no improvements in student outcomes.

There are already public schools that have more facilities and more equipment than the students know what to do with, and there are public schools that are built so strongly they are used in the town as cyclone refuge centers, but the student marks are mediocre.

Curriculum, teaching methods and teacher attitudes are the main determinants of student outcomes.

The private v public debate is generally unproductive as rational-debate says.

It seems fair that govt funding to private schools is less per pupil than public schools, but it would be better if there were greater scrutiny so private schools that run surpluses are means tested annually, or not super-advantaged, or both.

It is better that areas of need, such as remedial needs, and support for disability and disadvantaged students, be addressed.

As well as teacher support and education.

My experience is NSW public schooling is generally markedly improving and a benchmark for other states - [Hasbeen, Fri 4 Feb 11:53:00am].

Attempts to standardise education across the states nationwide are to be applauded, and friends and country) feel this is happening there.

Hope this happens in Queensland that seems to have its public schools frequently criticised.

The reality is Australian public education is one of the best in the world, and it is getting better.

NSW Dept Ed is the worlds biggest single education provider and it is a benchmark (and I do not work for them, the public service or the NSW Labour Party - I am not an Aust citizen, so do not vote)

correction - Attempts to standardise education across the states nationwide are to be applauded, and friends *and relatives in Western Australia (including teachers, city & country)* feel this is happening there.

McReal
Teachers are already supposedly qualified when they become teachers, and they then have access to numerous courses they can do to increase their qualifications.

As for teaching disadvantaged students, very little success has ever been achieved by any government in any country by throwing money at the problem of disadvantaged students.

In fact, the UK situation can be reached, where more government money is now spent on UK children than the OECD average, while UK children are below OECD average in everything measured by the OECD.

The common theme as presented by teachers and their union is “Give us more and more and more taxpayer funding”

What they don’t say is how they intend to spend that funding, or what systems of accountability they will put in place

"The majority of disadvantaged children do come from single parent families, and it is interesting that I have never once heard any academic in Australia speak positively about marriage."

Maybe because they do not see marriage through your rose colour glasses.

I still query your figures. A few sources would not go amiss.

Most families in Australia receive welfare of one sort or another.

What you ignore when throwing figures around is what leads to single parent families. Yes, I agree a single mother is certainly likely to earn less, but this has more to do with the market place. Most single parent families were two parent families at sometime.

I say very clearly once again, single parent families are a symptom, very rarely the cause of disadvantage children.

The difference today and the past is that parents do not stay together because they cannot afford to separate. Children and many mothers suffered shockingly, often behind closed doors.

Whatever I or others say, you will not move from your position that single mothers, mostly victims are responsible for all the disadvantaged children in the community.

Flo, speaking to Vanna, <"Whatever I or others say, you will not move from your position that single mothers, mostly victims are responsible for all the disadvantaged children in the community."

You hit the nail right on the head there Flo :) Vanna rarely gives authentic sources for his wild accusations!

If there are disadvantaged children out there living full time with their single mothers, then I wonder where their Daddies are?

Could it be they deserted the mummies when the going got tough or a younger woman fluttered their eyelashes at them?

So, who is most responsible for the dire financial straits some of these one-income single-parent families are in, mummy or daddy?

No one really knows because all situations are different, and people like Vanna who stand outside looking in at a family situation really have no idea at all.

A good education is the only way the children of some of these shattered families have of breaking the cycle of poverty.