To continue your thought bubble onthebeach. Yes haven't public/private road building been a hit.

It’s only happened in capital cities where changes have been made to try a force people to use them. Fees have gone up to levels that make child care look cheap. And for what so that state government don't have appear to go into debt to build basic infrastructure. 50 years ago governments could build roads, hospital and houses now all they can do is line the pockets of their corrupt mates.
Tom Playford built tens of thousands of house for South Australians, Now we pay them money to help them with a deposit on an overpriced house they can’t afford.

Kenny,

You would be astounded by the amount of public infrastructure built through private/public partnership or built solely by private contractors. Have a look around you.

I don't know where you get the idea that government was ever any good at managing construction projects or doing the work itself. As a test, have a chat with your elders about the work that didn't even get onto the drawing board despite years of planning and allowance in budgets, let alone get done efficiently.

Public works departments were also embarrassingly rife with fraud and lost equipment and materials. It remains a standing joke how many employees and their relatives had houses built with materials 'left over' from government projects. The truck would show up and voila some tons of first quality hardwood would be dumped along with cement, fastenings and whatever. The council tradies would then show up on paid leave and weekends to be paid for their second job, using the tools from work and most likely the materials too. Nice if you could get it.

Days when the wrought iron for balustrades, gates and door hardware, and sundry other things from garden tools to children's toys would come from the railway workshops.

Returning to education, like thousands of others I would never have received an education had not enterprising parents and persons of good standing built private boarding schools. As a side comment, few of us would ever have learned music either.

The Greens' envy campaign is negative and lunar and most people would easily see through it.

Yes onthebeach, I can relate to much of that. I remember the Navy auto maintenance depot, at Botany as I remember, that had 2 panel beating business, an engine overhaul business, & a workshop, all running on the side, & virtually full time.

However, I'm possibly a bit older than you. In the 50s, in a medium NSW country town, I got an excellent education in a government high school.

Every lunch hour, & every afternoon, after school for an hour or more, I would be either, at training for the school football or cricket team, run by a teacher giving his/her time, or at our math & science honors classes, also run by teachers giving their time.

Looking back I think it was a point of honor for our teachers to achieve better results in the leaving certificate, than the local catholic school, with similar numbers of pupils. That took some doing, as their teachers also put in much effort.

What ever the reason for all their efforts with us, we ran rings the private schools located in the country areas at that time. It was much harder to beat Scots College & All Saints, both from Bathurst on the football field, than in the class room.

I disagree with the Greens policy of denying private schools funding.
All children in Australia should be afforded equal funding from the Government, regardless of where they go to school.

I went to private schools in the 60's and seventies, and my daughter went to a private school just a few years ago. We were not well off and had to save hard to be sent to those schools.

We all did well at school and received far better discipline and respect for our elders than most at the local government schools did.

Maybe private schools are the answer for more of our children?
Why should our children miss out on education funds from the Government?

Hasbeen

You are right. There usually was a State school in country towns of any size. The quality of education received at primary level and from the technical colleges in major centres was often good.

However the geography of our country, its vastness especially, meant that daily commuting to a State school was impossible. However even in major centres there were gaps in available curriculums or delivery that did not suit everyone or meet all needs. I am not referring to religion. Others can argue that. Although provided the educational attainment is there, and school inspectors can see to that, I have no objections.

The variability of principals in particular affects the whole tone and quality of education delivered. That is irrespective of State or private. Overlay that with the burden of politics of the day and the management overheads in State education. Any perceived difference is usually down to those.

Ask teachers with a solid record of good results what they value the most and it is freedom to deliver within a curriculum that focuses on specific goals. Such has been the growing burden of reporting administrivia (to protect jobs in central office) and politically correct 'enhancements' to the curriculum that good teachers in State education would leave in droves if given the opportunity. In the State system principals are either affirmative action appointees with a network in State office, or they are very wily politicians, maybe both. Perhaps that comment could apply generally to many managers in public bureaucracies.

Yes onthebeach we had gaps in the curriculum. With only 16 kids in 5Th year, a full curriculum could not be delivered. However the school & the teachers found a way.

Most of the descriptive geometry course 4 of us did was in the woodwork building, with a junior class taught by the same teacher. The French & geography classes were combined, & taught by the same teacher.

There was no separate physics & chemistry classes, those wanting the physics did the science course with everyone, then a science honors class at lunchtime & after school. This honors course was considered equivalent to the separate physics & chemistry when one was applying for uni scholarships.

We also had the advantage that the leaving certificate, [matriculation] was by external exam. What you did gave your result, not some contrived system of in class assessment, & a comparison of total school results on a "core skills" test.

Because of so many committed teachers in the bush, country kids were over represented in the top of the leaving certificate results every year. Having had to put a lot of effort & money into helping my kids get what they wanted from this bastardised feminist system we have today, run for teachers, not kids, I know what was best, & it sure ain't this garbage today.