AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL FOR THE DEFENCE OF GOVERNMENT
SCHOOLS
PRESS RELEASE 409
PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING:
LETTER TO GARRETT FROM SEAFORD PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL
8 December 2010
The DOGS received the following letter from Seaford Park Primary School
to Minister Garrett with regard to Public School Funding. It is a very good
letter and has been read out on our 3CR program. We now offer it to our readers
for their perusal.
18 November 2010
Mr Peter
Garrett,
Re: Public
School Funding
We the members of the Seaford Park Primary School Council write to you
regarding out concerns over the current state of funding provided to the nation’s
public schools. We are a small school of approximately 170 students in the
suburb of Seaford on the outskirts of Melbourne.
Due to demographics, numbers at the school are in decline; however this
is compounded by the current funding model used to ‘support’ public schools.
Even a small drop in numbers has a dramatic impact on teachers, students and
availability of programs. Another contributing factor is losing possible
enrolments to the local private school under the guise of choice. But what
choice are parents really being offered? A poorly funded,
resourced and maintained public school becoming unviable in size; or a well resourced private school funded by public money.
Public money which drains the public system of resources and therefore the
vicious cycle continues.
Mr. Garrett, in September 2010 you told ABC radio, Öur goal is to make every school a great school. “However
in reality the Labor Party ( after initially promising
change if elected) instead extended the current inequitable funding
arrangements until 2014. A funding model which leads to such
situations as written in The Age in September. ‘Scotch College, which boasts facilities including a diving pool, 18
tennis courts and an observatory, had a profit of $14 million last year. It
received $4.7 million in yearly government grants.’ Private
schools with exorbitant facilities and a plethora of programs receiving
millions of dollars in grants, which prop up excessive profits. Let’s
compare this to our little public school. Seaford Park )PS
buildings are all portables, the ceiling contains asbestos, the roof leaks in
numerous places and the façade desperately needs painting. Along with the run
down facilities our programs such as Music, Science and Physical Education are
at risk of being scrapped because of a shortage of money. Is this really
choice? Is this the Federal Government helping make our school a great school?
I’m sure you would be aware that Australia ranks third lowest amongst
OECD nations in terms of the public funding it gives to government schools and
fourth highest in terms of its public expenditure on private schools. How can
such a system be defended and then extended by your government? The Howard
government SES funding formula is also only applied to private schools tghat are advantages, and not for
schools it would reduce funding. This formula has been maintained by the
Rudd/Gillard governments. A no-loser clause providing private
schools with subsidies that can only go u0p. Whilst many public schools;
our included; struggle on with inadequate, fluctuating or decreasing funds.
Private and church run schools throughout the nation are utilizing government
funds to accumulate wealth and build expensive facilities. This continues to
widen the gap between resources available in government and private schools.
Since the latter half of the 19th century
Australia has had a public education system based on the principles of free,
secular and compulsory education. Until then, churches and private
organisations had supplemented an inadequate public school system. If the
current state of funding is not rectified then early 19th century
arrangements may return.
Canadian commentator Heather-Jane Robertson is
quoted as saying that ‘Public Education is the zenith of democracy’. In that
case the current public education funding would be the nadir of our democracy.
We the councillors of Seaford Park Primary School
implore you and your government to rectify the current funding provided to the
nation’s schools. Act to fix a faltering public system, caused by poor funding
and poorer policy both of the current and former governments. Make public
education the government’s top priority for educating our nation’s future, its
children.
School Council President
On Behlaf of Seaford Park Primary School Council.
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