Flo,
"I believe that the government has a responsibility to supply appropriate education for all."

Well the latest system being used in the UK is to reduce welfare payments to single parent mothers when the child starts going to school, and to spend the money more directly on the child at the school, (and the school is a public school).

So the father is eliminated, and the mother is eventually eliminated, and teachers and the state now control the child.

The child is not much more than a ward of the state, and it would be the ultimate of public education.

Be careful of the word Public school in the UK. Over there public school means private school.

Be aware of the word public school in Australia. Here it means state religion indoctrination centre.

vanna

I have no idea where you are coming from or what your problem is. Where is it being said that the education system takes control of children.

Flo,

Of course the education system takes control of children.
They are barely out of nappies these days before they are institutionalised for indoctrination into consumer society.

I think ChrisC addressed most of what longweekend58 had to say, however I'll have a go anyway:
- no sensible person argues about "equality of outcomes" as a goal of education- agreed, children have different potentials, and I agree that any parent with 2 children will tell you they have different personalities, interest and passions - I know of one family with two boys, one is a budding scientist; his brother is teaching tap dance and about to start a year of ballet training. Who is to say which brother is "better", though one is more academically talented.
Education's goal should be to ensure each child reaches their potential (whatever that may be for each individual), and that they are assisted with obstacles (like dyslexia for example) that might otherwise stop them reaching their potential.
In the case of disabled children, a good education may make the difference between a future on welfare (on a disability pension) or, alternatively, being able to perform a simple paid job of some kind and participate in society. It is lot more important to society (economically and on other criteria) to put more effort into education for disabled children to get better outcomes for them, than to put a lot of effort into making sure already bright middle class children get an 10 extra marks in their final year high school results.
The AEU argues that more funding needs to go to resources for disabled children, as well as children from disadvantaged backgrounds - you can check their website to see where they want extra funding to go - it's no mystery.
As for the assertion that superior teachers only inhabit private schools - well where did the private schools got these superior teachers from? They got them from public schools, by offering higher salaries. There are a number of well known examples in Sydney where talented principals of selective schools have been poached by nearby private schools with better salary offers.