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The Forum > Article Comments > A view of schooling in Australia > Comments

A view of schooling in Australia : Comments

By Phil Cullen, published 14/4/2009

Since our country’s future is in our educational systems, we need to have schooling run by people who know what they are doing.

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Ah, a man from Qld, so I believe, who has worked in the 'edumacation' industry (for it is nothing less than an old factory based industry) and produced a slim book well worth reading, entitled 'Back to drastics', published by USQ Toowoomba and well worth reading to discover not only how empty our current edumacators are, but also just how Qld came to be at the bottom of the edumacation heap, apart from the NT, which takes joke status on most things anyway.

It is beyond comprehension what Qld has done with its school system over the last three decades, not that it ever shone, judging by the Qld of the Joh era.

But, as Phil Cullen describes in his slim volume, it was at least trying to make a go of it back in the late 60s early 70s with innovations such as Gabbinbar SS in Toowoomba.

All such good intentions have been swept away by the corporate nonsense that Phil describes in this article, and by such as Kevin Rudd who, never mind his Damascus conversion away from neo-liberalism, was a stauch advocate for all things neoliberal that we find still infecting his current edumacation policies, such as the lawyer from NY NY (who I read somewhere may possibly be under some form of GFC bank fraud question mark).

But who Phil might be thinking of here in Qld to run the system it is impossible to know, given that the talent stable has been emptied, the imagination section is bare, the thinking-through-policies department is bankrupt, and the only system on display is the 'mates' church network one.

Such matters as 'same start ages' are small fry compared to stopping the intrusion of ID into science, a common 'find' in EQ schools, halting the invasion of 'Christian mentors' being allowed to recruit for Jesus, and stemming the tide of 'chaplains' spruiking evangelism and Hillsong programmes in most of our state high schools.

So great are the failures of Premier Bligh and EQ that it is unlikely Qld will ever get a half decent state education system.
Posted by The Blue Cross, Tuesday, 14 April 2009 2:42:21 PM
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Michael Couts-Trotter is the director general of education in NSW. He has absolutely no qualifications in education and has been convicted of drug offenses.

How did he get appointed? He is the husband of Tanya Plibersik a federal Labor minister. Talk about jobs for the boys. Phil, you are so spot on!
Posted by bookman, Tuesday, 14 April 2009 3:24:55 PM
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I understand the authors frustration and the need for change in education, by the time I got through his article and had a look at his web site, I realised he hasn't got a clue and even if his intention is good, he and his ilk are part of the problem.

Our education system is designed for expediency and supporting those who make the best economic or academic slaves, not educating children in the realities and methodologies of life. I agree the system is run by those without knowledge or experience, including educators, whose only experience in life is from schooling and maybe a part time job. They have no real experience, just reflect upon their pupils the same lack of knowledge and experience, which exasperates the situation in following generations of pupils and teachers. We need a completely new approach to education using people with relevant life experiences to teach the young.

Those trapped in school to maintain statistical propaganda, along with everyone else at 16, should undertake a couple of years varied work experience in every aspect of the public service, essential services and the health system. This would solve youth unemployment, revitalise the entire system and give our youth real life experiences before going onto higher education or deciding a career. Let's start teaching kids how to live responsibly, knowledgeably and be good citizens first. Rather than teaching them to be as confused as their teachers about life.
Posted by stormbay, Tuesday, 14 April 2009 3:49:20 PM
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ALICE SPRINGS NEWS
April 9, 2009
http://www.alicespringsnews.com.au

A remote community where all adults work & kids go to school. By KIERAN FINNANE.

By KIERAN FINNANE

A remote community where all able-bodied adults work, where children go to school every day, where the community raises most of its own food, where people are strong in their own language and culture while also speaking English and interacting with 'the mainstream': this community exists ... it's the Papunya of memory for Alison Anderson, now the Territory's Indigenous Affairs Minister, and her-sister-in-law Linda Anderson, a teacher.
It's the place where they spent happy childhoods but where today, as in many other remote communities, they fear for the futures of the community's children.
Alison lived her first years in Haasts Bluff, born, like so many of her generation and those before her, in the bush - under a tree in the creek.
There was a ration depot at Haasts Bluff and a Lutheran mission. Aboriginal people initially lived in humpies across the creek. They would get their water from a soakage.
After a while the missionaries moved people into 'sheet of iron housing'.
'They were nice houses compared to humpies. We felt really proud, they were like little mansions!' says Alison.
She was eight years old when her family moved to Papunya. A ration depot had been established there; the community was closer to her family's country; there were more job opportunities.

---DELETED---

Pity that was 30+ years ago !

Go read the rest, is a good article ;-)

open link http://www.alicespringsnews.com.au/1610.html

The NT Education system has been a dismal failure, particularly for rural communities, despite ongoing recognition that English is often a second language !

At http://www.cis.org.au/
Can see similar covered in articles from Helen Hughes or Sara Hudson at The Centre for Independent Studies

.
Posted by polpak, Tuesday, 14 April 2009 3:57:57 PM
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Here is a great resource on what not to do about Education , The Madness of OBE etc .
Also some great writings from Kevin Donnelly .

http://www.platowa.com/menu.html
Posted by ShazBaz001, Tuesday, 14 April 2009 4:36:55 PM
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There's definitely room for criticism of our education system, but usually the criticism is simply that it's failing to indoctrinate kids with the critic's preferred ideology. Exhibit 1: Kevin Donnelly, former Howard staffer turned education termite.

Well, someone's got to keep the culture wars going now that the Libs are in the wilderness.
Posted by Sancho, Tuesday, 14 April 2009 4:51:57 PM
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I’ve got to agree with Blue Cross here who’s seems to have formed very similar opinions to my own.

It would be very dangerous not to have a comprehensive vetting process when selecting principals to spearhead curriculum reform.

I’ve worked with some fantastic principals and real shockers who would do a much better job flogging off the latest “get rich quick” scheme then the current crop of snake oil sellers.

The problem is that the salesmen and women work the system like experts to the detriment of both those colleagues who ask about the emperor’s lack of new clothes and the majority of students.

The critical mass of young, imaginative and intelligent teachers needed to implement change fizzled out years ago.

The culprits, in my mind, are careerist principals and their lazy obstructionist Heads of Departments. Smart young men and women leaving school have had little interest in becoming like them.
Posted by The Observer, Tuesday, 14 April 2009 10:29:03 PM
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The Lib's are in the Wilderness ?

Convince me !

Are Enlightened People philosophically in the Wilderness ?

I think not !

Shortly when the People are lining up to the soup Kitchens they will remember the Lib's fondly . In their minds Rudd will be below Latham , no Wilderness , in the Garbo Bin where all the Usurpers of Nations belong .
Posted by ShazBaz001, Wednesday, 15 April 2009 8:23:50 AM
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Why don't we just return to teaching kids how to think rather than what to think.

It'd be much cheaper and would probably result in Governments who are not intent on making us bathe in, cook with and drink our own excretment.
Posted by keith, Saturday, 18 April 2009 4:18:56 PM
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Stormbay,

As a teacher I come up against your argument from time to time; the idea that teachers don't live in the real world. I resent this argument as I consider myself having two feet planted firmly on the ground, just like yours. Living in the real world, I certainly don't put down whole professions using generalisations.

I am off back to wonderland...
Posted by bfg, Sunday, 19 April 2009 11:58:33 PM
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<“Stormbay,

As a teacher I come up against your argument from time to time; the idea that teachers don't live in the real world. I resent this argument as I consider myself having two feet planted firmly on the ground, just like yours. Living in the real world, I certainly don't put down whole professions using generalisations.

I am off back to wonderland...”>

You can resent it all you like, you may have your feet on the ground, but that doesn't make you experienced in life or the subjects you are teaching, just programmed. The results we see throughout the country.

Before you go jumping back on your bandwagon, let me point out a couple of things. Not only have I been a teacher and even though pretty well retired, I still work in clinical settings.

My observations come from more than 30 years of teaching, real work experience in many areas and treating people. You always get the best teaching results from those who have actual work experience in the subject matter and not just learnt in a class or seminar. How can you teach something you've never done out side a school room, it's impossible and I see the results all the time in my work. Depressed teachers, confused pupils and frustrated parents.
Posted by stormbay, Monday, 20 April 2009 9:04:33 AM
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Stormy old boy - you have just highlighted the very argument that continually confuses me:
"you may have your feet on the ground, but that doesn't make you experienced in life"
I had to ring my friend John the accountant this morning after I read your post. I asked him what it was like living in the 'real' world. He replied that occasionally, if he bent his head just right, he could see daylight from his computer bay. How are schools not real life? They deal with many complex issues, consult with business etc.

Now I agree that in some fields work experience is very advantageous - but I think the issue is more complex than how you put it. When I was training to be a teacher I came across a couple of people who had worked in other fields before teaching. One of them was particularly arrogant and claimed that 'because of his life experience' he would make a far superior teacher. He failed a prac and had to repeat it. Now I am not painting everyone who starts teaching later with the same brush, I am simply pointing out that the grass might not always be greener.

Teaching is a demanding field, both intellectually and creatively. A deep knowledge of curriculum and behaviour management (something that you don't touch on) is very important. An excellent teacher has a sound understanding of the relationships in their discipline/disciplines (or the seven a primary school teacher needs to answer for) and can relate this to examples in the world.

So while I think your argument has merit in certain cases, it does not and pragmatically can not be the revolution you are looking for.
Posted by bfg, Monday, 20 April 2009 12:58:35 PM
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