An insightful summary of the issues, Des, but we will have to wait some years before education gets back on track I am afraid, and it’s not the only policy area that Labor will have to repair in 3, 6, 9 years. The Napthine government, which has juts backed down again on its “performance pay” mantra, is behind 47-53 in Victoria, so there is a chance that Labor will be returned to government here next year and start the long process of rebuilding education in this state and then getting the feds to follow suit.

What an incredible article. It highlights almost everything that is wrong with education today, & praises it for god sake.

To start with their ridiculous idea that education is part of the welfare department. This alone ensures education is destined to fail. Nothing can serve 2 masters successfully. Either the education departments provide a top education for those capable of handling it, or it provides welfare services. It can not do both well.

I read "disadvantaged" so many times in this piece, I thought I was on a different topic. It is this misguided preoccupation with welfare of the less able, that is disadvantaging the top echelon of our students today.

It is not giving the top students of today the best & most challenging education that causes even the best students to present at university without the knowledge required. They leave school knowing half what my lot did.

Sure some kids in my day were taught only enough to drive the garbage truck, but most could make change for a buss ticket, without a calculator. Classes were streamed, so the top kids could advance at a high pace, & those who could not add with their fingers hidden were taught "home economics".

Every one got what they needed/wanted, & could handle, & that was in classes of 35 or more. Today, everyone must advance at the rate of the slowest, to prevent the slow feeling inadequate, & some slowest are in every class. While we insist no one must do better than little dumb Johnny & Mary, from the welfare dependent household down the road, we are on the road to catastrophe.

What article did you just read Hasbeen? Your level of reading comprehension is obviously very poor and you did not learn much in your teacher centred class room.