For Mick V
An article for you to read
http://www.alternet.org/rights/49811/
" Ironically, at the outset the movement seemingly encourages people to think "independently" or "courageously."

At first all have, in the totalitarian belief system, a right to an opinion, or, in short, a right to believe anything.
Soon, under the iron control of an empowered totalitarian movement, facts become worthless, kept or discarded according to an ideological litmus test.
And once these movements achieve power, facts are ruthlessly manipulated or kept hidden to support the lie.

Creationism is not about offering an alternative.
Its goal is the destruction of the core values of the open society--the ability to think for oneself, to draw independent conclusions, to express dissent when judgment and common sense tell you something is wrong, to be self-critical, to challenge authority, to advocate for change and to accept that there are other views, different ways of being, that are morally and socially acceptable.

We are beginning to see the growing intolerance that comes with the empowerment of these ideologues. There is a bill in the Texas Legislature to strip all mention of evolution from Texas school textbooks and institute mandatory Bible classes for all students. This is just the start."

I'm revolted to see the christian right's real estate porfolio & indoctrination centres get padded with my taxes, but i know i'll win in the long run.
My daughters inner urban govt school is tooling her up her with communication and cooperative (&3Rs) skills to die for, while her christian peers sit rigid in rows repeating dogma: i know which is better preparation for the world as it is. If child protection were not in crisis i'd be pushing them to study the legality of religious fundamentalists (of all stripes) forcing their stupidity on others, but most people grow out of the God=Man-in-sky fantasy as they grow up anyway (though why ALL women don't is a real mystery).

At the risk of bringing the wrath of hell down upon myself, I'd just like to point out that the Public School System was given a great kick off by that bloody minded old womanizer and judicial murderer, much revered by the town of Tenterfield and Australian History Books,
Sir Henry Parks, adulterer and Antipodean Cocksman of renown as well as Premier of NSW.
It was he who said in one of his Parliamentary and no doubt un-sober moments that his Public Education Act would be '...the death knell of Roman Catholicism in Australia..." or words to that effect.

He was wrong, and the continued wrangling over private schools is part of his legacy to the Nation.

Get over it, realize that without the private/church schools we'd all be paying more taxes. If you want to improve the Public School system then MAKE the Government apply the law as it pertains to those schools. MAKE the Government live up to its obligations.

I think ultimately, the solution lay in a needs based formula, rather than an arbitrary hit-list. The funding-by-heads system just doesn't work properly, paying to little attention to the differing needs of students.

The public sector, put bluntly, requires a lot more per head. One prominent cause (out of many) is that the public school system, not only provides for disabled students, but picks up the slack where the private school system neglects to cater for disabled students. Not only is the a massive disparity across sectors, but also between schools within a sector (specialist disabled schools vs non specialist and so on.)

Those chrisitan schools that tackle neglect are also disadvantaged by a funding regime that doesn't recognise neglect, so in this repsect, it's not necessarily a public vs private debate.

Then there's the problem with the rorting of various schema; schools inflating their LOTE enrolments to access special funding for example. Reform is needed, and it needs to be based on genuine needs.

Liam: Maybe you've been to different private schools than I have. Christianity isn't really a big focus at many of the more mainstream private schools, even the Catholic ones. A lot of the staff, students and parents couldn't give a proverbial rodent's earlobe about the religion and everyone seems to be going through the motions. Think of the Myer Christmas displays in the windows on Bourke Street -- they're a fascade for the real business of Christmas. Likewise for "Christian" schools.

Liam....
I'm curious about something ....why do you describe Christian schools as the 'Christian Right' ?

Why not just 'Christian' ? To add the word 'Right' to them in a blanket way is rather biased to say the least mate.

You might find some are quite different to your understanding of 'Right'.. though I suppose if you consider standing for moral principle and eternal truths 'Right' ok... But the 'Right' is more a political term and related to economic rationalism and Capitalism as far as I can see. There is nothing particularly 'Christian' about Capitalism, but I'm sure there are many Christians who are of that political economic persuasion.

You say you are 'revolted' about 'your' taxes being used thus and so, but I'm equally revolted that MY taxes are used in such and such a way, particularly to fund 'Multi' culturalism. I'm revolted, offended, insulted, dismayed and even worried.
But my one recourse is the ballat box and public activism, as it is for you.
See you at Federation Square :)

Christians schools are a last resort to re-claim and hold fast to enduring values. If the State taught them, we would not feel so much need for our own schools.
But as long as our public education system has as its primary philosophical foundation "Truth is relative, and the only thing you can believe is that there is nothing to believe in" we will diverge pathways and have our own schools.

You might suggest that is not the philosphical basis of most modern education, but we can debate that another time. I've done it to death here in the past, probably more so than my anti Islam rants.