SM:
"Your view of what goes on in independent schools shows that you have no idea what so ever".

SM,
Against my principles I let my first wife have her way and our first two kids spent two years in private school; an Anglican school with moderate fees of about 5k each per year. After my wife died I had a relationship with a private school teacher and was privvy for a couple of years to all the goings on she was privvy to. Later I married a teacher and we are together today. In between times I've done most of a graduate diploma in teaching (high school), including prac, but decided it wasn't for me. I've spent the last few years however teaching on a part-time basis at university. During this time I've had four children in State schools, primary and high, and I've had an abiding interest in education, and the travesty that it generally is. I'd say this gives me some idea of what's what?
What is your expertise on the subject grounded in btw?
The "point" the author of the article is making is in fact nothing but a blunt ideological instrument; a marketing drive for privatisation generally.
Apart from the fact that a private education requites little more than hubris, to pupil and parent alike, those naive enough to be conned by the marketing ought to be aware that all privatisation, once it becomes dominant, leads to the degradation of the service or vocation it's commercialised. The pressures of competition and the demands of corporate salaries and shareholders will insure a three-tiered system ranging from Dickensian to a truly triumphant elitism.

Wackford Squeers aplenty might become teachers again, and the poorest will have to pay for their ministrations, and we can go through the whole wretched process of rescuing the innocents victims.
But I'm sure you'd call that progress.
...Perhaps you have shares in the industry?

I forgot to mention, SM, I also did my prac in a private school--felt like quite the worm in the bud!

Hurrah Wackford Squeers!

The SMs of this world care nothing for others.

See how he supports a subsidy for the ownership of Jags?

There is no end to the self interest of some.

TBC,

The comparison would be the government giving everyone a free holden barina worth $13K or offering a subsidy of between $8000 for a small car and $3000 for a jag.

And people complained that it was unfair that some people bought Jags and that either people could only own Barinas, or that the government should not subsidize other cars as this would save money.

Squeers,

My grandmother was a teacher, my mother was a teacher, and my wife was a teacher for a number of years, and all have worked in both government and private schools, and with regards educating our children, the rational has been private if you can afford it.

Our kids were first in public school, and while there were some good teachers there were some very ordinary ones too. Secondly there were no consequences if work was not done, and no discipline required.

The change on moving them to private schools was dramatic, as was the work ethic. It suddenly wasn't cool not to have done your homework. It took a year for the kids to catch up to the rest of the class, and my son got a scholarship to a top private school as a result of his new focus.

So we have tried both and the difference is dramatic.

A scenario for you to consider:

- A low fee private school (Christian) with enrolments of around 1400
- An open enrolment policy, with no "test" whatsoever for admission
- Children from all walks of life, faiths, socio-economic backgrounds, etc
- Classes overflowing, as they seek to squeeze in as many children as apply
- A hardship provision to help those struggling with fees
- A reputation in the community for hanging on to troubled students for far longer than any other school would, public or private
- Regularly recommended by both private and public competitors, as well as local paediatricians, as the "right place" for children with various academic, emotional and behavioural conditions, despite receiving, on average, around 10% of disability funding compared to public schools nearby
- Oh yes, no swimming pool...

And I could go on.

If you read these forum responses, you would know that I am obviously inventing this school. Squeers et al will tell you, from their vast experience in this field (cough), that this is the case.

Well I hope it's real, because I've been working there for 20 years. I also know of many, many other private schools that do the same thing. So please stop talking about the 5% that have all the money, pools, tennis courts, etc and be reasonable about this debate.

The bottom line here is that all children deserve a quality education and the government needs to get the funding formula right. Yes, some private schools do need some funds trimmed but the majority are doing the same work, in the same community, as their public school counterparts. And, on the odd occasion, we even do things together and all get along.

Thanks RD for blowing TBCs and Squeers' arguments out of the water.

The top 5% of the schools only get about 25% of the funding of public schools. With this they get to offer scholarships to disadvantaged and aboriginal children among other things.