Heart-felt congratulations to Mike Williss on this summary.
A quick response to rpg, who asks,
"Why...does Gillard want to reform the ... system. Because it doesn't work for the major stakeholders- the parents".
Firstly, why doesnt "it" work for these "major stakeholders" (these people obviously "own" their children the same as any other property they've acquired: back to the nineteenth century and Soames Forsyte)?
Is it because at a state school instead of some of the illywhacker religious schools, kids will actually get to learn about the real world- including sex education, evolution and any post-Euclidian maths that questions a common sense realisation of the flatness of our Aristotelian earth. Rather than have their very thoughts controlled by their narrow-minded Hansonist parents, as occurs in extremis with mobs like the Exclusive Brethren, that is?
No, the "main stake holders" are (actually!) the children.
And I'd hate to see any kid denied a fair education because of vigilante, US style so-called parent groups, anymore than I would want heart surgery conducted on them by a ditch digger rather than a trained professional. Otherwise I'd eventually have to listen to more more of the claptrap emanating from the coalition parties over climate change.

As a mum with a child with dyslexia, I can only rely on public schools as private schools do not cater for children with learning difficutlies. I wish there was a private school (not based on any religion) where the teachers were interested in the latest educational practices and cared for children from all backgrounds and achievement levels. Hasn't anyone out there got enough money to start up schools that are interested in children's learning in a positive and nurturing environment? I for one would be paying whatever it took to have my children enrolled there.

Public schools would be fine if funded properly and had a culture based on excellence rather than being dictated to by the teachers union. Nearly all teachers are "good" teachers, but we should reward the "great" teachers. Of course the union wouldn't agree to that.

Principals should be held more accountable for performance of teachers and the school. Their performance is not assessed at all.

One principal told me that a Catholic School was really only a public school with a cross out the front. I think he was right. However, the privelidged anglican schools certainly are not. I am amazed that the government funds these schools. I believe that it is unconstitutional to fund schools who exclude children on the basis of religion, or academic achievement.