Amazing! Vouchers not flogged once. Better make up for it - vouchers! vouchers! vouchers!
This is a serious failure of purpose, JB, I can only hope the Voucher line is being run in other areas of social policy, like health (the PHI rebate), child care (Oh, bless my shares in ABC) and now - welfare benefits.

Jennifer, I hope you're monitoring the threads. Can you give us a more detailed break-down on the methodology behind this survey? I'm assuming it is qualititative, but was there a questionnaire or was it interviewed based? Did it involve all school principals, a representative sample of school principals? Was it mail-in self-selecting respondents?

We did qual research a couple of years ago now http://whatthepeoplewant.net/files/report_education_total_15_05_06.pdf which showed that about 50% of respondents (happy to go into the methodology) would like to send their kids to a private school. Of course not all the 50% could afford it. So if there is a correlation between race and income, and if the change in ethnic mix is real, perhaps it is not about race but about income.

What an extraordinary belief! Blaming “policies that allow parents to choose among schools”.

I suppose we should take kids from their parents and put them in a kibbutz? Let’s not have any of that democratic freedom of choice nonsense! And, of course, call any parent who changes schools because of high coloured immigrant content a ‘racist’. Overlook the fact that high numbers of students from non-English speaking backgrounds do slow down the learning process for all students.

The “halcyon” days of “no racial tensions”, before the stupidity of multiculturalism are long gone. Australian politicians encouraging inappropriate immigration have seen to it that we now do have racial tensions which will increase in schools and society in general.

If there is a white flight from certain schools, it is merely a natural reaction to the dangerous policy of multiculturalism which nobody but arrogant politicians and the ethnic industry wanted.

Opposition to the divisive multiculturalism policies of both major parties has been ignored since Malcolm Fraser forced it on Australia 30 years ago.

When governments don’t listen, the people have to protect themselves in any way they can. Self-segregation is one way of doing it

"If there is a white flight from certain schools, it is merely a natural reaction to the dangerous policy of multiculturalism which nobody but arrogant politicians and the ethnic industry wanted."

... which sounds suspiciously like some Pauline Hansen would have said - racism by another name.

Your comments on the ‘spin’ placed by SMH commentators is misplaced by those yearning for the simple, uncluttered schooling of yesteryear. Blaming parental choice for racial outcomes is itself discriminatory and inflammatory.

Many non-government schools regularly lose capable young students to NSW government selective schools based on those school’s much vaunted academic outcomes. If parents – and increasingly students who are making their own choices regarding their education – seek such academic outcomes for their child’s education why should they be pilloried for pursuing such choices?

It is hardly newsworthy – although media commentators make great play of perceived differences in academic results – that selective schools have and will continue to head the annual NSW HSC results league table. Something would be radically wrong if they did not.

It is also widely accepted that many students of Asian background secure places in NSW selective schools. If they are brighter and their aspirations for academic achievement are higher than other ethic groups is this wrong? Cleary not, nor is it acceptable that such schools be given labels of social or ethnic separatism. On the contrary such schools and their students should be lauded for their excellent outcomes.

Many non-government schools offer extensive scholarship programs for students whose parents would not otherwise have the financial means to enrol their child in such a school. Some non-government schools have long encouraged attendance by indigenous students.

Such enrolments come at a cost. While they may attract some government subsidy support in most instances they are financed by endowments or through allocations from annual recurrent funds, the bulk of which come from fee paying parents. In a media environment of sensationalism such social inclusiveness tends to be either ignored or overlooked.

Most non-government schools simply don’t have the funds to accept more students with disabilities or severe learning difficulties. It is an economic reality that such schools require prudence in their financial management which means placements are always limited for such deserving students. This outcome is financially driven and is not based on a culture of social segregation or operating exclusion

I send my child to a private school because I believe these other children this article refers to are potentially dangerous and prone to violence and would distract my child getting a good education.

Many Asian and well heeled ethnic families feel the same way. Why should our children be beaten up and abused by ethnic little bastards when there is a better alternative.

Is very telling that the leftist moonbats are worried that thier experiment is going to slide ever more pear shaped by the loss of normal people out of public institutions.

Perhaps they will be able to give these kids careers as security guards stopping thier mates ripping off thier houses.