Oh dear, Armchair critic
You havent read the book and I doubt you read Mr Prasser's article. Private schools get far less funding per child than government schools. Sadly this is something the author did not understand either. If private schools closed down, this country would be in dire straits. Thanks to Mr Prasser for his excellent summary of the real situation.

Hi NanP

I did read his article, and it was the first 2 sentenses that resonated with me, because I know that's the truth.

"If private schools closed down, this country would be in dire straits."
- I don't care what private schools do, those kids are going to get the best opportunities and their parents will always be there to pick them up when they fall down,
Mummy and Daddy will buy them a new BMW or Tesla on their 17th birthdays...
Then they'll go to University and the government will wipe their HECS debts to buy their loyalty.

I care about the kids the system fails who aren't going to make it.
I care about the kids sitting in double sized classes without air-conditioning because their classrooms are all had it, and they can't afford to fix them without numerous fundraisers, and good poor kids that have to go to school and where other screwed up kids threaten to stab them and slit their throats for years and the school does little about it.

If that was a reality for a kid you cared about,
the same as it HAS BEEN the reality of a kid I care about:
- Then you'd be saying the same things.

You seem to think its ok for one group to get the royal treatment,
While the others lives and futures are tossed aside or meant for the trash.

The reason people pay so much for their kids to go to private schools is because public schools don't even meet a basic standard.

Just some numbers to help ground the arguments in facts: (from the Productivity Commission’s Report on Government Services 2026)....

These figures cover the total recurrent funding per student enrolled:

Government schools.... $24857
Non-government schools....$15262
(this is further broken down as $16590 for Catholic schools and $13,826 for non-Catholic schools).

Further points of note: the wealthiest and most prestigious private schools don't get anything like those amounts. For example Melbourne Grammar gets $4000 per child and Sydney Grammar gets $3500 per child.

The debate on funding wouldn't be complete without noting the Goulburn Strike where Catholic schools, ordered by government to upgrade their toilets but unable to fund it, simply closed all 7 schools in their district. 2000 kids suddenly applied to enroll in the public schools which overwhelmed the system. The government caved in, provided funding and the rest is history