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The Forum > Article Comments > Profit no longer a dirty word in education > Comments

Profit no longer a dirty word in education : Comments

By Mikayla Novak, published 29/3/2005

Julie Novak argues profit and education can work and examines the prospects for ‘for-profit’ private schools in Australia.

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Oliver,
your point about 'iffy offshore providers' Well said !
Arjay,
your point about the soft discipline in the public sector is also due for credit. The stupidity of the "The only thing to believe in is that there is nothing to believe in" mentality of our public education sector is lamentable. They will speak about 'rights' and come up with something very similar to 'Do for your fellow student (neighbour) as you would have them do for you" which is fine, but as usual, they provide no real 'reason' for believing this is a good thing, apart from it should theoretically produce the intended outcome.
Pericles,
nice NOT to see words like "Penumbral" or "Exeguious" in a recent response to me, for which I had to consult a dictionary . P.S. U asked me to respond to your question in the other thread, which I did, but u have not yet responded to mine, about your interest in the White Rajah's .. mind ?

Personally, I feel the idea of education for profit is to be condemned, for the reasons Oliver brought out. The more enmeshed the various entities become, ABC learning pushing the deal, but also having its child care centres on site, puts the cringes up my spine. So many profit motives which conflict with many values important for a sound education.
I shudder at this scenario for the same reason I shudder when the State retreats from its Corrections responsibilities giving the role to private providers who are guided by 2 main values 1/ Cost cutting, 2/ Increased shareholder Value. Though on the surface these may seem laudable objectives, when they are guided by materialistic and selfish motives they always end up dehumanizing various people.

If private providers want to set up 'for profit' education centres fine. but ZERO tax payer funding ! Private Schools run by Churches are not for profit, and I am more sympathetic to some taxpayer contribution as long as they remain not for profit as they seek to instill enduring values in the children as well as the ABC's
Posted by BOAZ_David, Saturday, 2 April 2005 7:04:10 PM
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What is going on here? I agree with Boaz again. Where profit competes with value, unfortunately there is only one winner.

I have stated in a previous forum that my children attend public schools and I resent my tax dollars going to fund private schools. Education is not a privilege it is a fundamental right - to bring in a profit based system further alienates lower and middle income families from the wealthy. Profit in education erodes the very idea of values for our children. How can one teach compassion, tolerance and empathy when the bottom line is the dollar? All our children will learn is that to get anywhere in life all you need is enough money. And if you don't have any you'd better get it - somehow.
Posted by Ringtail, Sunday, 3 April 2005 7:40:31 AM
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I feel that commercial private for-profit schools should not be Government subsidised. The sending of children to a commercial private for-profit school is a matter of parental choice. All children should be provided taxpayer funding – and they are. However, where parents “choose” to opt out of the system set-up for their children, I don’t see why the Treasurer must follow on their silver coat tails waving a wad of money.

The not for profit church systems are different because the school environment emphasises holistic values and pastoral care. Moreover, often times the school fees are “reduced” to help poor families.

If public schools are not delivering, then, address that problem. Make it academically harder to become a schoolteacher. Today’s Week End Australian has an article on this very topic in the Higher Education section. Also, provide the public schools better support. Make principals and teachers job tenure performance based. Make special provision in the public schools for “gifted” and “challenged” children by having Government paying big bucks for excellent and highly trained teachers. The latter can be payed-for by redirecting funding away from the private schools to selective public schools and special purpose public schools. Herein, gaining greater utility from the best teachers in special gifted class populations and challenged class populations. Thus, we have streaming based on merit and need.

Boaz,your comment finds suport from George Orwell, who said never use a big word when a small word serves the same purpose. I think this advice is generally apt for 350 word posts to a general audience. "Penumbral" is okay for an astronomical journal or a literature essay, but, perhaps not here. Trust this remark is not too direct, but, I did not want to "shade" my meaning :-).

Albeit, maybe, there is an exception, where two or three contributors with specialist knowledge make a connection; wherein, there could be multiple embedded threads. Penumbral? Anyone for celestial mechanics or debating whether Beacon wrote Shakespeare :),;)?
Posted by Oliver, Sunday, 3 April 2005 3:06:25 PM
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>>Private Schools run by Churches are not for profit, and I am more sympathetic to some taxpayer contribution as long as they remain not for profit as they seek to instill enduring values in the children<<

I knew you couldn't get through a post without a little religious boosterism Boaz, but I'm curious how broadly you define "Churches" and "values".

Or might you actually be sympathetic to public funding for Muslim schools?

No? What a surprise.

Incidentally, there shouldn't be any words here that you need to look up. Except possibly "tolerance".
Posted by Pericles, Sunday, 3 April 2005 5:21:55 PM
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Here is another comment on "charter schools" in the US.
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0330-20.htm
Seems the reality does match the hype!
Posted by rossco, Sunday, 3 April 2005 11:37:35 PM
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Oops!Should be the reality does not match the hype!
Posted by rossco, Sunday, 3 April 2005 11:38:53 PM
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