anyone not acknowledging the huge increases in Government expenditure for all schools over the last 20 years is likely to be playing politics. The funding has kept growing while standards keep dropping. Kirby of all people with his qualifications should know that. Maybe paying teachers on results might change a few things. No doubt we have about 20% very good teachers, 60% average and about 20% below par. Obviously the teachers union would draw many of their members from the last group.

KIPP you're obviously unaware of the laws of Defamation ? Am I exhibiting literary cowardice for not clearly articulating my precise criticism or identifying my specific position on Kirby ?

Not for a moment, rather I'd suggest to you that I'd much rather remain somewhat circumspect or judicious, more than likely ? Nor would Mr Graham YOUNG, the proprietor of this august Site, would necessarily thank me, enthusiastically neither ?

Therefore it's for this reason alone, not for some vague altruistic rationale that I might suggest you engage in a spot of reading, firstly the common law as it relates to, Defamatory Statements, or more specifically, the 'Uniform Defamation Act of 2005' that might just assuage your inane curiosity in determining whether or not I'm a literary coward ? If neither of the above seeks to diminish your asinine little enquiry, then obviously I can't help you ?

Thanks for that information o sung wu, I have no objection to being corrected, in fact & am more than happy to learn.

Did you not notice Kipp in my post I said " Perhaps your experience is a little distant". Perhaps you didn't.

The Honourable Michael Kirby is a gentleman, and a great Australian, and any suggestions to the contrary I fear must be ill-founded (or the result of misunderstanding).

Having myself been a product of the NSW public education system I can relate to the views and aspirations outlined in this article for the future of public education.

Let's face it, public education is essential, and it is essential that it provide quality education outcomes.
If it is suffering from the problems some have expressed on this thread, and as indicated by findings of the Gonski review, then such problems need to be addressed as a matter of the highest priority - as the future of very many of our youth will be directly dependent on correcting those problems.

Attending to any perceived deficiencies in public education is both the thrust and the objective, and it must be seen as a noble and a fully justified cause.
Surely the States and Territories have to apply their combined wisdom to the cause of a unified, comprehensive and above all quality public system. To do otherwise is unthinkable.

When is the politicking going to stop, and the hard grind of putting the the national interest first, the interest of building a smarter, innovative Australia going to start?
And, it can only start with a quality foundational public education system.

Consignment of quality education to the private sector would be both a defeat and a gross abrogation of principle and of direct national responsibility.

I commend the article, and its author.

Salty I agree that public schools are very important & need much remedial action.

However the Gonski report was an exercise in socialism, & nothing to do with improving schools.

While we have the feminists in control of the curriculum, dumbing down everything which girls have found hard, there is no chance of improvement of our outcomes. At the same time, while we have the teachers union controlling staffing & conditions, there is no chance of getting rid of the mass of accumulated dead wood in the profession.

I doubt any government would have the guts to do what is needed. The left will just throw money at the problem, pretending that will help. What else does the left ever do?

The right will squib it totally, probably also throwing money at it, & private education will become the only game in town, if you care about your kids.

For public education go west young man go west where parents are running schools and standards are rising.
Stuff the idiot dogooders and academics. They know only refined logic, elitist experience and idiot ideologies.