"That is why so many Politicians of all persuasions send their kids to private schools. They don't care to much about the religion taught in private schools but they hate the fruit of the religion of secular humanism taught in State based schools."

Runner, I agree, we have our share of religious fanatics in politics,
as in the rest of the community. That they care about which religion
is taught, is a fact! Most want their own kids brainshwashed, in whatever they were brainwashed with as children and still believe.

If you think I'm wrong, then perhaps you could suggest to Fred
Nile that his kids or grandkids should go to an Islamic school.
Or perhaps Hilali could send his kids/grandkids, to a JW or
Bretheren school :)

Think again about the nonsense that you wrote.

You're all barking up the wrong tree. Stick all the little buggers up chimneys again. That way, you'll 1) save heaps of money on the education budget (and let's face it, no one remembers anything they were taught in school anyway), and 2) our economy would go gangbusters with all those new chimneys that would have to be built.

Problem solved. Next?

I don't think I know enough about this subject to say much. However, what I can say, is that both my kids went to a Catholic high-school where they received quite a good eduction. Both were able to go on to university (one is now a veterinarian, the other doing his PhD). (By the way, both are still, like their parents, atheists.)

Our impression of the kids attitude in the state high-school in the same regional city was that serious students were ridiculed.

It is a great pity if kids have to go to private schools (religious or otherwise) to get a decent education, but that does seem to be so at least in some places.

I owe my education (primary, high, and tertiary), as well as my first job (high school teacher, SE suburbs of Melbourne) to the State system.

Though I am grateful, I must say the State system is not perfect, having lost its philosophical rudder (no pun intended) a while back.

To CJ Morgan,

Where I taught, he only time I saw condoms given out was by a visiting speaker. The teacher who invited the speaker was horrified and got the students to give them back.

However, I was a bit concerned about the Sex Education unit that was included in Science years 8,9,10, which included some teaching on contraception. I wondered that for the kids who are under the age of consent, isn’t that teaching them how to break the law?

To Michael2

While creationism is a little off the topic, since you raised it,

I know of no Christian school that teaches creationism without thoroughly discussing evolution as well. In that, kids get practice at analysing and criticising competing philosophical theories. In other words, they are getting lessons in how to think, not just what to think. I suspect that you believe that nothing exploded and became everything because you were only taught what to think.

When the luny left took over our public education system,they took our 5 yr old kids and brainwashed them with a heap of claptrap.

It all depends upon who is trapping and clapping I guess.
Our public education system is predominately controlled by a left wing mentality and it only natural for level headed people to seek more balanced alternatives.It is a free enterprise market and people are willing to pay a lot more to get the balance.

Perhaps the public system should cater for the needs and aspirations of the general populace instead of trying to surrepticiously inflict their personal views on the rest of us.

We have a whole generation who cannot spell or use grammar correctly or even demonstrate skills in critical analysis and it does show.

Quite interesting the comments posted here.

State school teachers are diverse. Many go to church. Many were private school educated. It's about half and half in our staff room. We get along and don't discuss (usually due to time constraints) the issues others are so focused on.

Someone commented on State Governments funding state school and Fed Government funding private schools. Not quite the case. The Feds allocate the funding to the states. The states do the best they can with the inadequate funding. There's strong stipulations on how the funding is to be used. Schools tend to market themselves so they can receive extra funding. They compete against each other.

Another poster criticised Rudd because he said he wouldn't take funding away from private schools. Although there's no argument with me that the funding has been discriminatory as far as the Liberals have been concerned, I do believe private schools also should receive funding. They have taken a lot of burden off the state system. And besides, the parents pay taxes too and are entitled to funding for their children regardless of whether they are state or private. By the way, many state school teachers send their kids to private schools.

I like his idea of sharing resources. If a private school has a brilliant sports field or pool or science labs or auditorium, I think it's a equitable decision to share that resource within the community.

Just my thoughts.