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The Forum > Article Comments > Mr Gonski and the social contract > Comments

Mr Gonski and the social contract : Comments

By Dean Ashenden, published 23/5/2014

Neither Labor nor the Coalition is rising to the challenge posed by Gonski.

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...Mass education actually “destroys” economies, and is counter-productive: The rise of the Asian economies is the proof. Cheap labour is the “driver” of industry. Australia actually lost the industrial base it once had because of education…Less education is now the imperative to encourage the return of the "lost" industrial base.
Posted by diver dan, Friday, 23 May 2014 7:50:29 AM
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Well thank you Dean Ashenden, so nice of you to point out so clearly that the Gonski report had nothing to do with education & everything to do with socialist ideology.

As in all things socialist it pretends to do one thing in the front, but meanwhile does something different out of sight behind the back. While pretending to help that oh so useful "underprivileged" it throws just enough at them to keep them in their place, while throwing heaps at their real target, the union & academia.

Like all things socialist, to achieve their level playing field it does nothing to really lift the bottom, it merely tries to chop off the top. Their way of leveling the field is to take a bulldozer to the best & brightest, & the wealthy of course, to cut off the top, & squash it down to the rest in their mediocrity. The socialists & the feminists have been doing this for years, & the results are obvious in our falling education standards.

Dean you should stop your efforts to promote Gonski, they are counter productive. Like a plate glass window, anyone who cares to look can see straight through you. Your desire to eliminate the best is obvious, & disgusting
Posted by Hasbeen, Friday, 23 May 2014 9:04:43 AM
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We simply cannot compete with emerging economies, and a dollar a day wages, or 7, in really fair pay societies!
Perhaps Hasbeen's kids would queue for jobs with that kind of unimaginable generosity?
No?
Why not?
If its good enough for the goose? Hmm?
On a more serious note, low wages is a horse that has already bolted, thanks to the mining industry!
We have no other choice but to grow a high tech economy, and with it, virtually all the jobs off the future!
Why even highly technical surgical operations, are now being assisted by robotics, which results in much more precise surgery, and far less time in recovery!
A win/win for both the hospital and future patients, particularly old dinosaurs, locked in the past and the days of riding on the sheep's back, or cheap labor!
The jobs of tomorrow, will be high tech energy dependent ones, and the sooner we realize that and just crack on accommodating that outcome, with decent education based on merit, not the more affable post codes, will be a good start.
And if you then include the lowest in real terms, tax impost, just shrugged free of all parasitical practice, plus the worlds cheapest industrial energy, coupled to very rapid rail,[self funding{ and a new national nuclear power very fast roll on roll off ferries; the world will queue to relocate here, or buy our production!
There is really no other choice, except a virtual return to the dark ages, and even right wing ideologues like the aforementioned; surely wouldn't want that?
Or would they? Hmm? Perhaps the more meritorious, could all just get (FREE) scholarships with GMH!?
Rhrosty.
Posted by Rhrosty, Friday, 23 May 2014 11:46:46 AM
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The major problem for Gonski was that he was working for the Federal Government and the majority of under performing schools are run by the states. Perhaps he would have been more effective if he worked for an individual state government.

The author talks of elitism in private schools, but in reality many parents choose private because they are not happy with the local government school. He also talks of cherry picking by elite private schools but in NSW, the government selective schools are the greatest cherry pickers of all.

I do agree that there is massive inequality in education. You only lave to look at the HSC(NSW) merit list of schools to see that there are literally hundreds of under performing schools. Schools where nobody ever gets a Band 6 in any subject, ever. I find it hard to believe that a school doesn't have at least one student capable of performing well in one subject.
Posted by Wattle, Friday, 23 May 2014 12:07:49 PM
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People that had a decent merit based education, would have at least realized, that selling any part of our manufacturing base; to complete foreign control or domination; is both a recipe for disaster, and eventual shut down.
No large American concern or Japanese one for that matter, is going to compete with themselves for international markets.
There is no other choice in a truly global market, than for automation and economies of scale, to more than compete with the emerging economies.
The critical key, is firstly the actual cost of energy, transport, tax and water!
The wages component of Australian production is still only 16%, and that includes mining jobs!
Reducing the cost of transport is as simple as firstly unlocking our own vast and untapped resources; and or, rolling out self funding rapid rail or both!
Reducing all other aforementioned costs, is as simple as removing all the middlemen profit takers, and or, parasitical practice, or both!
No one is owed a living or a free lunch, but particularly, robber barons, who essentially add nothing except their often exorbitant, fees and charges? Why?
Because they can and or, we the people, aided and abetted by the "tea party" simply stupidly, allow it!?
Now if we just took the blinkers off, and all just decided to put the, [unwilling to reform these self defeating practices,] incumbent last on the ballot paper, we would eventually wind up with parliaments, that put the national interest first, in the knowledge and understanding, that just doing that much, benefits us all!
Rhrosty.
Posted by Rhrosty, Friday, 23 May 2014 12:18:07 PM
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For Wattle: You are right about selective government schools. The problem is even larger than that - schools in all three sectors that are not nominally 'selective' but find ways to select, and schools that include selective components, covert selection, etc. The article is explicit in saying that it's a problem across the board, and also makes specific mention of selective government schools.
Posted by Dean Ashenden, Friday, 23 May 2014 12:40:00 PM
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