while funding to public schools
increased by just 17%
Foxy,
Morally, that is the proper way to distribute our Tax Dollars at this stage. Should Public School teachers lift their game they too should receive more. For too long our Taxes have been wasted not on the students though, on their teachers. It is merit that warrants reward, not just being there.

Indyvidual,

Not all private schools have merit. And certainly funding should be
based on those who need it the most. It should be more balanced
and even handed not just given to those who need it the least.
_____________________________________________________________________

Now back to the Calvary Hospital takeover.

Some Catholics are concerned that the ACT's takeover of Calvary
hospital may have set a precedent. They're worried not just for
the Catholic Church but for every institution whether it's
religious or not that the government is going to seek to acquire
other church assets.

There's a lot of anxiety on this.

The territory government claims that this takeover was not
based or motivated by Calvary's faith-based policies.
They insist that the efficiency of having both of the ACT's
major public hospitals under the control of one operator
and the need to provide more hospital beds for a rapidly
growing city were at the centre of the government's decision.

The fact is that Calvary hospital has been an operator and a
long term partner of the ACT government.

They've worked with the government closely for 34 years and
have existed for 44 years.

Suddenly this has been taken away. We need to ask - WHY?

Should governments have the right to make decisions in what
they believe are in the interests of its citizens?

Dear Indyvidual,

Geelong Grammar's Wellness Centre cost over 15 million.

"The Geelong Grammar School Foundation has raised $15 million over recent years towards new buildings, including the Wellbeing Centre which cost $16 million. The Centre comprises a multi-purpose sports hall, an indoor swimming and diving pool, a fitness centre, a dance studio, a medical centre and classroom facilities. The Foundation is now raising another $3 million for a new indoor cricket centre and indoor equestrian centre.

Despite all this luxury, Geelong Grammar will get $5.2 million in Federal Government funding in 2012 plus about $1 million from the Victorian Government. Together with fees and other private contributions, this will provide resourcing of over $35,000 a year for senior students.

This is two to three times the resources available to government high schools nearby serving some of the most disadvantaged families in Australia."

Is this an example of your "wastage & big Dollars spent on everything not to do with educating students"?
http://saveourschools.com.au/funding/govt-largesse-of-6m-for-geelong-grammar/

I was speaking to a public high school teacher recently. One of his deep annoyances is the influx of hard to manage students who had been expelled from private schools. More and more problematic students are being foisted on the public system. What's your solution?

It should be made clear that the claim that public funding
of hospitals includes an expectation that every public
hospital will provide every available procedure is a furphy.
Obviously not every hospital does brain surgery, or heart
surgery and this also applies to terminations and other
procedures.

This obscures the very different reasons why a specific
hospital may not conduct certain procedures for ethical
and religious reasons.

Catholic hospitals do not provide abortions - but lets be
clear what that actually means.

It means that it does not provide "procedure, treatments or
medications whose primary purpose or sole immediate effect
is to terminate the life of a foetus or an embryo before
or after implantation."

This definition helps to distinguish deliberate terminations
from other procedures with which they are sometimes confused.

These can include emergency procedures needed to save the life
of the mother or her baby or both.

Doctors in Catholic hospitals evaluate the circumstances and
make their decisions accordingly. They provide
what is required in emergency situations depending on the circumstances.

It is not true that Catholic hospitals do not provide needed
treatments in emergency circumstances.

We also need to remember that most abortions do not occur in
hospitals but in dedicated clinics set up specifically to
provide them.

Therefore it appears that the ACT government's take over
of the Calvary Hospital needs to be investigated. As to why
it has happened - especially after so many years of their
co-operation with the ACT government.

Not all private schools have merit.
Foxy,
I don’t think anyone’s actually claiming that they have. The thing is that public school teachers couldn’t perform even if they wanted to. Their unions will never allow them to instil a sense of responsibility because that would make many students wake up the agenda pushed by unions. That’s why public school teachers are largely kept at the level they have been for several decades now. Only private schools allow students to think for themselves which includes thinking about others.

Is this an example of your "wastage & big Dollars spent on everything not to do with educating students"?
SteeleRedux,
No, the wastage I refer to are air charters at every school holiday, Private School at Taxpayers expense, excursions at Taxpayers expense even when the parents are on six figure salaries, teacher relocation with packers flown in to shift them to another school etc., pocket money provided by Taxpayers. How on Earth the Teachers Union expects teachers & students to ever grasp the concept of merit & responsibility is hard to see for those of us who had to pay for everything.