So, there is nothing new in education, so called.

Education needs to be taken out of the hands of politicians and those practising for a political career, unions. The private system is best, because it doesn't get paid if it doesn't produce. The taxpayer money it receives is essential to protect the awful public system from being overrun.

Non-government schools have had a significant presence in Australia for more than a century and currently educate around 35 per cent of Australian children. The other 65% of children would have a much better chance in life if taxpayers provided the money, now wasted, in the form of vouchers - allowing parents freedom of choice.

As for 'further education' universities are just brainwashing facilities, also sucking taxpayers dry. Young people are being bullied into attendance - or encouraged by the lowering of entry standards - instead of being encouraged to take up more rewarding and productive career paths

Struth this guy waffles on a lot! And obseses over equality when the real issue is high quality.

A high education should be the right of everyone. It really is that simple!

There is a disadvantage of having some people in private education: separation can create social divisions, and there's a risk it could ultimately result in people not caring about those unlike them. The risk is real, but in contemporary Australian culture it's unlikely to be a big risk, and the cost of eliminating it is prohibitive. Hence there's no point discussing banning private schools - it was only ever a lunatic fringe position.

"Everyone agrees that all children have an equal right to education."
"even sworn enemies believe that all children deserve an equal opportunity to receive a high-quality education. Who could disagree?"

I do!

And I would still disagree even if "education" was a good thing.
How more so at present - does every child have an equal right for punishment, incarceration and indoctrination?

We need to stop funding all schools per se. And instead start to fund students through their parent or guardian. Via a means tested grant, then allow the parents to direct their package to a school of choice public or private.

And that should level the playing field somewhat and have schools out there competing for lifeblood funding. And should over time allow results based best practise to come to the top.

The unions will scream blue murder as this will all but kill their influence and control. And see sub grade teachers marched/offered other career options.

Curriculum needs to be based almost entirely on STEM with those not able to cope offered technical training in a trade of choice (plumbers electricians etc) in sperate classrooms.
Alan B.

Dear Alan B.,

I totally agree with the first section of your post, which is:

«We need to stop funding all schools per se. And instead start to fund students through their parent or guardian. Via a means tested grant, then allow the parents to direct their package to a school of choice public or private.

And that should level the playing field somewhat and have schools out there competing for lifeblood funding. And should over time allow results based best practise to come to the top.»

I should also add that a parent/guardian should be able to select not just one school of choice but even several schools/teachers for their child to go between and get the best of each.

As for the last section, regarding curriculum, in line with the first section, curricula should be entirely up to the parent/guardian, who will choose for their children school(s) that provide the curriculum they believe in, not what the state wants to dictate.

But how is this possible?
It's not possible, stupid suggestion really !
Every child must be given opportunities equal to their merit, same goes for adults !
What's the point of saying every child should have the opportunity to go to UNI if they can't manage to achieve the entry requirements ? As I said, stupid suggestion typical of academic mentality !
Haven't these parasites learnt anything from the mistakes of the past 50 years ? National Service followed by University should be the sequence if the brains are there that is !
The Nation is screaming for Labourers etc.

Education is necessary.
We must pass on accumulated knowledge to the new generation we have produced.
Otherwise they will start life with a cave-man outlook.
Do we want to live in a world controlled by such persons. as we journey in to old age?

Teaching is one side of the equation.
Learning is the other.
Not all persons are the same.
In an ideal world, education would be tailored to suit each individual.
And it must transfer adequate information to students, in a suitably palatable form.
In other words, it should be quality education.

I remember occasions when students from private schools came to our public school.
It was notable that they had not achieved the same level of knowledge that we had.
It was like they were six months behind us.
I hope it is not still the same in private schools.
The new students caught up quickly, so I think our school provided a superior learning environment.

There are a few persons who simply cannot absorb information, however it is taught.
They exist by being 'street smart', and 'fudging' there way through everyday life.
I have met them, so I know they exist.
They are usually very decent people.

We might not have a perfect system, but it is better than no system at all?
And mostly, we have good dedicated teachers to teach our children.
So keep it all going, whilst looking for ways to improve it.
The importance of teachers is overlooked?
The do their best, so shortcomings are due to system deficiencies, rather than their untiring efforts?

Public school is training for people to become low paid employees
Such as childcare workers, toilet cleaners, factory and retail workers or garbage men.
Private school is training for people to become employers and academics.
Parents pay for their kids to go to private school so their kids won't have to grow up to become childcare workers, toilet cleaners, factory and retail workers or garbage men.
Not only that, its also about who you know.
Go to a private school and all your schoolmates will become employers and academics.
Even if you are a dumb loser you'll still succeed because all the people you grew up with are employers and academics.
In private schools you'll be surrounded by all the cream.
In public schools you'll be surrounded by all the crud.

A quote from a prof. in my B.Ed. days back in the 60's : There is nothing so unequal as the equal treatment of unequals.

Schools are there for kids to learn how to read & write & depending on the teacher they're lumped with, to think !
The rest is up to parents & the youngsters themselves & the Television programming in their area !

Government schools are never going to be worth the cost while controlled by the union. While lazy & incompetent teachers can not be sacked the system fills with those who could not hold down any job in the private sector, thousands of kids get a miserable education.

Dear Ipso Fatso,

«Education is necessary.»

Absolutely so.

'Education' comes from 'educe' - to bring out, to develop, so that the child grows to use their full potential, which is already within them.

Education does NOT mean to push ideas into a child that were not in him/her to begin with - that is indoctrination, and that is definitely not what a child needs!

So while education is necessary, an "education system" is dangerous because it tends to indoctrinate children into whatever benefits the system rather than what benefits them.

I am all for education, I am all against education systems, certainly those run by states.

«Otherwise they will start life with a cave-man outlook.»

That sounds promising!

Did you know that, unlike the common legends and stereotypes, the cave-man treated women equally?
Both men and women hunted and gathered together, there was no hierarchy.
Patriarchy and discrimination against women started much later, when states were formed: as states fought each other, their leaders/kings constantly needed more soldiers to replace the dead, so they sent the women home to breed.

«Do we want to live in a world controlled by such persons. as we journey in to old age?»

Ideally nobody should be in control, but compared with those in control today (who thanks to AI are soon to be replaced by robots), I would certainly prefer the world to be controlled by cave-men.

«There are a few persons who simply cannot absorb information... They are usually very decent people.»

I would go further and say that they are usually the best and the ones with the biggest heart - these are the most wholesome and discerning ones who refuse to swallow junk information that modern society tries to feed them: I salute them!

---

Dear Critic,

Public school teaches children to be selfish and want to make money by becoming employers and academics. They fail and instead become cleaners.
Private school teaches children to make a real contribution and help others by becoming nurses and cleaners. They fail and instead burden others by becoming employers and academics.

I seem to have omitted the word "quality" from my above post.
A high quality education should be the right of everyone. It really is that simple!

Apologies for any confusion caused.

_________________________________________________________________________

Indy,
Reading and writing are only a small proportion of what's learned at school.

Opportunities should be abundant.
_________________________________________________________________________

Yuyutsu,
Regarding indoctrination, have you considered that the reverse could be the case? By exposing the children to alternative viewpoints, it reduces their chances of being indoctrinated with their parents' prejudices.

Dear Aidan,

Normally parents (and grandparents) love their children and wish them well - more than anyone else.

Nobody is perfect, but if I am to be indoctrinated by someone then it rather be the ones who love me, not the ones who are there to use and abuse, who have no true care for me but view me as their cannon-fodder or economic-fodder.

Now children are influenced by their parents in any case, so indoctrination by others leaves them confused and mentally torn by conflicting loyalties. That is not a happy childhood, that is a miserable childhood.

Parents who wish their children the best, send them to teacher(s) with congruent values.

So much on the visible surface - now metaphysically, children often choose to be born to particular parents so they can represent them in their early life, before they can properly express themselves and make their wishes known to others, with similar values they carry from previous lives. This means that rather than indoctrination (as it might sometimes seem from outside), parents actually bring out (educe) in their children these traits which were already in them.

Once children can properly express themselves, then they should be heard regardless of nominal age and have their choices respected - but who is most likely to listen, believe and respect them more than their loving parents and grandparents?

Opportunities should be abundant.
Aidan,
Yes, there are more opportunities than people who can avail themselves to them. But, not due to lack of education, lack of suitability is the problem. Many simply aren't suitable for education & pushing them into education is worse no education. When people say opportunities they generally mean ease of exploitation.
People should be able to do what they enjoy or are comfortable with rather than the meaningless pushing of academic titles. Menial work needs to be rewarded far more than it is whilst meaningless work needs to be paid far less ! If it really is equality we're after then we must reward merit rather than showy titles !

Why do facts always kill debate ?

The problem with universal principles in this case equal education opportunity is they often lead to centralized control and tyranny.

Sounds like Aiden wants to be able to indoctrinate and take away parents children. I can hear Stalin propaganda saying "Thankyou Stalin for my wonderful childhood".

Canem,
>Sounds like Aiden wants to be able to indoctrinate and take away parents children
It only sounds like that to imbeciles!
No sensible person would make the ludicrous assumptions your conclusion depends on.

Why do you let McCarthyist paranoia prevent you from thinking rationally?