RUDD AND SMITH DUMP ALP 35 YEAR FEDERAL NEEDS POLICY.

AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL

FOR THE DEFENCE OF GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS - D.O.G.S.

PRESS RELEASE 223 #.

12 OCTOBER 2007

RUDD AND SMITH DUMP ALP 35 YEAR OLD FEDERAL NEEDS POLICY

CHURCH SCHOOLS DELIGHTED

PUBLIC SCHOOLS DISMAYED

No Warning, No Public Consultation:

Without any warning, and without any consultation with party membership, on October 9 and 10, 2007, Rudd and Smith revealed that they had embraced Mr Howard inequitable and unjust SES policy. In one fell swoop, they acted unilaterally and abandoned the 35 year old ALP Needs Policy.

Where are the Fabians now?

The Federal School Funding basis for 35 years was the Needs'' policy. Gough Whitlam, the then labor opposition leader, in his policy launch speech on November 13, 1972, put the Needs approach to the members and the electorate. These were the days of the show piece poor parish schools.

As DOGS have often pointed out, the Needs policy became the Greeds policy and encouraged bottom of the school yard schemes.

But now, Rudd and Smith hold the public school interest in such contempt that they have left even the rhetoric behind.

Major Promotors of Needs Policy Not Consulted:

Public School teacher and parents groups have clearly expressed their dismay and disgust at the rejection of the Needs Policy.

Unfortunately for Public Education, the peak public school organisations put their support and efforts into the ALP and its Needs policy for decades. Yet Rudd and Smith did not consult them about the change.

Public Schools Dismayed:

According to the Australian 10 October, 2007, parents and teachers have accused Federal Labor of becoming a pseudo - Liberal Party.

The Federal AEU President, Pat Byrne was reported as saying:

We not not support Labor's decision to maintain a system which is clearly not Needs based...the change will preserve a flawed system which sees the share of funding going to public schools continue to fall.

The Deputy President of the AEU, Angelo Gavrielatos was similarly reported in The Australian 9 Oct. 2007

It is índefensible in this nation that we continue to deliver such large increases to wealthier schools...to maintain that indefensible model until 2012 makes a mockery of everything the ALP has said about introducing a needs based funding model... it ensures the private schools will maintain a position of privilege'

Needs Policy a Disaster

Unfortunately for Public Education the real beneficiaries of the Needs policy within the ranks of the public schools were certain teachers and parents who obtained recognition, influence and career paths in the years1973 to 2007. The major beneficiary of the Fabian's Needs policy however, was always the Roman Catholic School system which exploited the policy to their own financial benefit.

The Needs policy was the crutch which opened the billions rather than millions of dollars from the Federal Treasury to church school systems, effectively impoverishing the public systems throughout Australia. DOGS predicted that this would happen.

For further information see News Release 143 at www.adogs.info/pr143.htm; News Release 145 at www.adogs.info/pr145.htm ; News Release 148 at www.adogs.info/pr148.htm; and Statistics at www.adogs.info/statistics.htm and our Cartoons at our home page.

Private/Church Schools Overjoyed at Rudd Smith Turnaround

It is readily apparent that the real beneficiaries of the Rudd/ Smith Education Policy are the church school interests.

The Roman Catholic church at the present time has left Cardinal George Pell to exclaim their extreme happiness at the dropping of the Needs Policy.

'For us it is a benefit and I am happy to endorse it.... (Australian 10 October, 2007)

We had a slab of schools where there would have been problems... ( Australian 11 October 2007)

The political correspondent for the Australian on October 9, 2007 commented that the major shift in ALP Schools policy ensured that Catholic schools would not lose funding.

What then has happened to the mythical poor parish schools? DOGS estimate that approximately 60% of the Roman Catholic Sector would lose funding under a Needs Policy.

Meanwhile, the peak body of the private church school interest, The Independent Schools Council of Australia, clearly endorsed the change in their media release of 10 October 2007 as

Very good news for schools and families

According to the Australian, 9 October 2007, the executive Director, Bill Daniels said:

It's a huge shift from the past...

The Independent Teachers Union of Australia also responded in a News Release. They welcomed the Rudd/Smith decision.

The chief executive office of the Christian Schools Australia, Stephen Doherty, in their 9 October 2007 news release, also declared:

We welcome this announcement with which the Federal Labor Party has honoured its commitment to change the way it views non-government school funding...the change is significant. Labor has turned its back on the politics of division.

Condemnation

DOGS declare that the Rudd/Smith changes to the ALP policy is meant to look after the private church school education at the expense of public education. Their actions will lead to an ever decreasing share of federal recurrent funding to public systems. This is turn will lead to an ever increasing division of children on the basis of creed, culture and ability to pay.

If public school supporters do not fight and turn their back on the ALP, free access to educational opportunities for the majority of Australian children will become a dream of the past.

How dare the private school apologists moralise about the 'politics of division and class warfare' when they have so grievously divided our children

The Rudd/Smith changes are neither in the interest of public education or the public good.

PUBLIC SCHOOL SUPPORTERS HAVE NO OPTION BUT TO REJECT THE LIB/LABS IN THE
COMING FEDERAL ELECTION.

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AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL FOR THE DEFENCE OF GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS

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Last modified:Friday, 12 October 2007