The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
The Forum - On Line Opinion's article discussion area



Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Main Articles General

Sign In      Register

The Forum > Article Comments > Greens need to escape captivity > Comments

Greens need to escape captivity : Comments

By Chris Watt, published 27/7/2011

The Greens education policy differs at the outset from other major political parties in its absence of recognition of the legitimacy of the non-government education sector, other than community-based education

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. Page 2
  4. All
@ Pericles:

I don't think that anybody is suggesting that demand for private education won't decrease once taxpayer subsidies are phased out, in much the same way that it increased when the Howard government massively increased funding to private schools.

I see that you're deploying the scare tactic most favoured by the Catholic schools, i.e. that if they shut their doors tomorrow the public system wouldn't cope. Of course it wouldn't, since it's been systemically deprived of funds, staff and other resources for several decades now.

That's why removal of public subsidies to private schools ought to be gradual and staged. You're probably right that there isn't much detail in how this would be implemented, but I guess that's because they haven't got much support from either of the majors, so the focus is on trying to achieve support in general terms before detailed planning can begin.

I'll be recommending starting with the richest schools, those obviously elitist institutions whose major purpose is to institutionalise class privilege in our society. As an individual taxpayer who was publicly educated and has put three kids through the public system with excellent results (one daughter topped the state in an HSC subject) it irks me that my taxes go to lining the coffers of GPS schools in particular.

It's a recent phenomenon in Australian society which can and should be reversed - which is why the Greens have adopted the removal of public funding to private schools as policy. It's a policy that I support, but I'm not surprised at all that it's opposed by those who equate quality of education with the status of the institution that delivers it.

That's one thing I like about the Greens - they stuck by their principles even when it's electorally disadvantageous to do so.
Posted by morganzola, Wednesday, 27 July 2011 3:47:28 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
All conceivable arguments for government schooling are refuted here: http://mises.org/journals/jls/19_2/19_2_5.pdf, thus there is no valid
reason for its continuance. Anyone wishing to argue otherwise must first refute those arguments, which they never do, because they can't.
Posted by Peter Hume, Thursday, 28 July 2011 8:55:14 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
This is not about class wars, morganzola. Much as you would like it to be, to justify your being so self-righteous about it.

>>I'm not surprised at all that it's opposed by those who equate quality of education with the status of the institution that delivers it.<<

Unless you intend to make private schools illegal - you don't do you? - the super-rich would be totally unaffected by the Greens policies. And no-one else sends their kids to expensive private schools for the status. That would be really stupid, and counterproductive. After all, if the schools were only about status, they would be academically lousy. They aren't - at least, here in Sydney they aren't.

The majority fork out bucketloads a year, to give their children the best education that they can afford. It's called choice.

As a policy, doing away with private education sits right up there with "the only car we will allow you to buy is a Trabant". Not a good image for a political party wishing to collect the votes of people whose ambitions might stretch a little further than a cosy government job, a beige cardigan and a nice little pension.

If a taxpayer - who is already paying for the education of kids in the State system - cares enough to invest in his children's future using their own after-tax income, then you should be pleased.

For myself, I believe that a carefully and equitably conceived voucher system would not only be the catalyst for a quality boost in our school system, it would also finally put to bed this class/status/elitist nonsense.

Hope all the tests went well.
Posted by Pericles, Thursday, 28 July 2011 10:29:14 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. Page 2
  4. All

About Us :: Search :: Discuss :: Feedback :: Legals :: Privacy