Only a neo-lib would bother about this:

"such as the inherent property value of the schools."

What of the housing value to the community of all those pleasant green acres of frqeuently state donated lands the plush private schools inhabit, often in desirable areas?

That is not the real argument SM, or would you like to discuss the gigantic subsidy to road hauliers with the provision of 'free' public roads also?

You do indeed have the right to own a Porsche, so long as you have the ability to pay for it, and the shallowness to desire it, that is open to us all.

You scrape the barrel of laughs when you quote anything the ALP says about education. They would say that, wouldn't they? They all send their children to private schools these days, to escape what the politicians between them have created.

TBC,

"You scrape the barrel of laughs when you quote anything the ALP says about education."

So the libs, the ALP, and treasury are all wrong and you are right?

Puleez!

SM,
the premise may not be explicit but it's implicit in that the author never makes the assertion and cites no evidence that private education is superior to public. Indeed he couldn't make such an assertion because there's no credible evidence for it. Indeed, taking into account the relative advantages and disadvantages, the public system arguably offers "better" and certainly more egalitarian outcomes, notwithstanding that Australian public schools receive almost the least funding in the OECD.
Further:
"private schools are able to provide their students with better resources and more access to technology because they have more money. And on the whole private schools take fewer students with special needs, fewer indigenous students and fewer students whose first language is not English.
Meanwhile, public education cater for all, including high and low-achieving students. They are required to keep students with behavioural difficulties within the system until they're 17 and students with disabilities or learning difficulties are accommodated and provided with support". Read the whole article: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/public-v-private-school-its-not-as-cutanddried-as-you-may-think-20111212-1or0s.html

Private schools are elitist in that they filter out "undesirables", and so nurture and perpetuate a small-minded mindset devoted to spurious notions of difference, status and superiority that carries on beyond the school gate.

On Human rights, I don't invoke any formulaic notion of such rights as you allude to, but assert that when it comes to education and healthcare absolute equality ought be the norm.
I might add that neither I nor any "cultural-left academics and teacher unionists" I know of mean equality of outcomes. Like most of the article it's innuendos against the "cultural left" are unfounded. No one is demanding equality of "ability and intellect" or "guaranteed success", "especially in education".

SM, perhaps dig out some works by Chris Bonnor and Trevor Cobbold and have a look at what they do with the information.

I am amused though to see you defending Swan and Gillard as educational whizzkids.

The ALP has many strings to its weathered bow, and I include the abysmal record of state ALPs in the demise of public education, and the equal promotion of state subsidised schools, erroneously known as 'private' schools.

The rot started with that great underminer of public education Gough Whitlam as he bought DLP votes and it has continued unabated ever since those dark days.

Latham at least understood what turncoats and fifth columnists his party colleagues had been/are but had no idea how to resolve the betrayal, beyond his flash-in-the-pan verbal assaults on private schooling.

Gillard has swalled the entire rightwing agenda hook line and sinker with her rather pathetic attempt at a 'revolution'. But then, she is a natural fit in the rightwing of the ALP, which has never-ever been a leftwing party of change, rather a rightwing party of amelioration and sectional interest.

So, yes, I am pretty well convinced that I am indeed right, and Swan, Gillard and the Lib-Nat coalition of priviliege is quite wrong.

But you and I have to accept that this is a contested area, and there is no real room for agreement. One either supports privilege bestowed by ATO fiat and gifting, or one does not. Education is but one area of the overall debate.

Besides, neither type of school really educates children with what they regard as anything the least bit useful beyond basic abilities to read and write, so the overblown debate about supporting private schools is really little more than a debate about 'adults' asserting their right to claim status in society.

I hardly think that every child who passes through the private system has a guarantee of 'success' as measured by what our community seems to value.

There are many who fall by the wayside, even after mater and pater have spent squillions, and that will always be the case.

Goodoh.

Squeers,

That the author did not comment on the quality of public and private schools is because it was irrelevant to the point he was making.

Your view of what goes on in independent schools shows that you have no idea what so ever. The majority of independent schools are not high fee charging, and with the reduced government support have equivalent or sometimes less and still on average get better results compared to comparative public schools.

While most private schools are not selective, given the low level of government funding, they are not equipped to deal with severe disabilities, (public schools for the disabled get up to $40k per student), and the ability to discipline children with the ultimate punishment being expulsion means that disruptive pupils do not spoil the education of the others, and pupils know that there are consequences for behaviour such as truancy and not completing homework, which does not happen in public schools.

TBC,

That Whine Swan and Juliar are sufficiently literate read a basic balance sheet and see that supporting independent schools makes sound financial sense does not make them educational "Whizzes" only not as stupid as the greens.

The utopia of equal education for all has never been achieved even in the communist countries, and can comfortably rest with other ideals such as "world peace" for all.

SM

I suppose you support the private car industry existing?

Thought so.

Now, 'SM, should private car owners be subsidised by governments to own private cars?'

'Yes Blue X, that makes sense. Otherwise public transport would be overflowing, and the state could never find the money to put in train lines, buy buses or replace trams'.

'But those who own Jags get a bigger subsidy than those who own Mazda 121s SM'.

'Well Blue X, governments cannot help it if some car owners are lazy and didn't save their pennies to buy a Jag.'

'There is no reason for everyone to expect governments to ease them all into a Jag, so long as they can get around, Blue X'.

Thanks SM, I thought so.