Dear Pericles,

My 'over' instead of just under was a mistake but one that hardly counters the figures nor the argument that the overwhelming majority of the schools favoured by ACU largesse are religious in nature.

My Chinese-australian example was not meant to be a direct comparison but an intentional extreme to make a point. That being said it is not unheard of;

“In 1973, the Malaysian government implemented an affirmative action program, setting a quota of 55% of university places for Malay and the remaining 45% for Chinese and Indian students. The university quota system created considerable unhappiness among the Chinese and Indians. In 2002, it was found that Malay students constituted 69% of state university places. This was interpreted by the then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to mean that fewer Chinese and Indians were applying for these places.
In 2004, 128 non-Malay students who obtained perfect 5As in STPM were denied their first choice of course which was medicine. All students managed to successfully gain offers to private institutions but some did not pursue a medical education due to lack of funds and financial support.”

The favouritism endowed by ACU is cloaked in a 'school relationships' program that includes non-Catholic schools, though to their credit the average SES ranking of the students attending is not significantly higher than average, it is still an unfair system of allocating places that cost the tax payers tens of thousands of dollars.

Anyway you need to stop calling me Shirley.

SR,

The Catholic university already has one of the lowest ATAR requirements, and there is a world of difference between allotting a few extra ATAR points and having a quota system. Perhaps you would like to throw in the Nazi extermination system next?

Dear Shadow Minister,

I am talking about the principle which is that we shouldn't condone discrimination in this country based on a person's race, colour, or creed.

I don't think ANU are particularly egregious in their conduct but ultimately there will be kids who miss out on a place at a university, one that you and I fund with our taxes, not because of merit, or an adjustment designed to enhance equity, but because they were not part of a schools relationship program which overwhelmingly favours religious schools.

That is wrong.

SR,

The ACU gives the ATAR to some one from a school run by the same body. As the schools are required to give access to all faiths, the person getting the extra ATAR may very well not be catholic or even christian. Thus the argument of discrimination based on faith is groundless.

The system fell apart when Whitlem decided to let anyone go to university that had any sort of disadvantage. The socialist universities blossomed like yeast riding in the bakery.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HECS#HECS
The HECS money flowed and any idiot could get into the Education stream and get some sort of a degree that would allow them to attack the hand that fed them.
The need to have a brain and education standards based on ability through competitive examination was replace by social need and social disadvantage.
Catch 22