interesting, page-13

Obdurate

Re; "...I just wish Eddy or someone could apply the same paradym shift to the disfunctional primary and secondary schools and public education systems. At present the main alternative seem to be reactionary and devisive religious schools of every conceivable denomination.
This is the new frontier and a much more challenging and significant one for the nation's future. As the power of the teacher's unions wane and with State Governments increasingly reluctant to run education, the next decade may see some entrepreneurial visionary pick it up and run with it...."

As a fairly recently retired K-12 Victorian government school [500-550 students] principal I am compelled to challenge these ill-informed statements. They may well reflect what is printed in the media but therein lies Australia's misfortune.

There is only one Key Performance Indicator [KPI] that matters - "value adding". Principals know what it means - making a difference to kids' learning. Widely published, flattering data shows that highly motivated & capable students in select entry private schools achieve excellent results. However, this does not show they add extra value - motivated & supported kids achieve excellent results - period, regardless of their school or teacher! For example, Cobram High School hosted a Malaysian exchange student who became the dux for Victoria, achieving 100% in all subjects except English in which he received 96% - he also took an extra Science subject starting mid-year in Year 12 & achieved 100% in it as well!

Governments choose NOT to publish data on "value-adding", publishing only league tables showing Year 12 results etc. They know how explosive the results would be.

Government schools enrol all students & cater for the great majority of students with disabilities almost absent from private schools. Government schools make a difference to the marginal students that are not normally enrolled in private schools, excepting some Catholic ones.

And then there is the matter of resourcing government schools - what an absolute disgrace & international laughing stock we are on this count! Other countries scream out for our teachers & use educational approaches we have developed - such as the 'Project for Enhancing Effective Learning' that was not intiated by government or central curriculum organisations!

You may also be interested to know that education is developing into one of our export success stories because of the in initiative, dedication & expertise of our teachers & Principals. Government has merely added the bureaucracy to control it!

The level of ignorance dsiplayed by many of our politicians has been disgraceful. To Rudd & Gillard's credit they have made some early steps, but all too often our pollies love having a free kick at this country's most sincere & dedicated workers - our teachers.

You can rest easy knowing that our teachers led the introduction of environmental education, computer education, sex education, business education etc. etc. in the face of opposition from government & interference by academics they appointed to develop new ideologivally based curriculum structures. We have a literacy rate that is the envy of the world, but that's not how the media will report it!

In all of the above I am not intending to be critical of private schools. Rather I submit to you that they are working with a different clientele, under different rules & with much more generous resourcing than government provides to public schools.

I could go on & on & on. Should you wish to do so I am happy to communicate in person re this matter rather than further abusing the ABS thread.

4YIO - NFA