AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL FOR THE DEFENCE OF GOVERNMENT
SCHOOLS
AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL FOR THE DEFENCE OF GOVERNMENT
SCHOOLS
PRESS RELEASE 433
STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENTS
RISK AVERSE WITH GONSKI ENQUIRY:
DEAFENING SILENCE ON PLIGHT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION
JUNE 9, 2011
The State governments which are responsible for the nation’s biggest
school systems, namely NSW and Victoria have failed to make any contribution to
the Gonski Committee’s funding debate.
The Australian pointed this out in an article on Monday June 6, 2011, p. 3
For once, The
Australian, which for many years has been an advocate of the private
sectarian sector, has done the public a service.
A former investigator, of the taskforce
investigating the imp0lementation of the federal government’s $16 billion school
building program has attacked the standard of public schools, describing them
as barely habitable.
But who is responsible for this parlous
situation? Who is responsible for placing at risk the educational opportunities
of more than two thirds of Australia’s children?
Is it the fault of the elected representatives
in our State Parliaments? Is it the fault of the risk averse
public service whose independence has been undermined by insecurity and short
term contracts? or is it the fault of greedy sectarian
interests with a vested interest in undermining our public education system?
Australia is at the crossroads, and Gonski,
his political masters, and the sectarian systems of education are on trial, not
the public systems.
The centralized administrations of the public
schools systems were undermined and taken over at the top by sectarian
interests in the 1980s. There have been constant re-structures which were
designed to alleviate any administrators dedicated to the welfare of the public
system of their employment. The Victorian re-structure of 1982/83 was an
interesting case in point. The takeover bids came later in the New South Wales.
The Australian points out that while the Catholic and independent school system has been
running an active and vocal campaign on behalf of their schools, the public
school systems have been silent.
This is half the truth. The Catholic and
independent systems are centralized ( although they denigrate the so-called
centralized State school administrations). Because of this they are willing and
able to take political action and engage in rhetorical spin on behalf of their
school system.
The public systems on the other hand, have
been systematically emasculated and filled with docile functionaries most of
whom send their children to the sectarian system! DOGS have called this
systematic takeover from on top, the entanglement of those committed to
entanglement of religious tribalism and the state - the cancer in the body
politic.
As the system has been decentralized, principals,
teachers and parents at the local school level have been forced to carry the
can for public education.
When the teacher unions, mainly in New South
Wales, take up the cudgels for public education they are given a vigorous serve
of teacher union bashing.
Is it any wonder that they are confused,
demoralized and – yes, angry?
And so they should be. Angelo Gavrielatos was
quoted as saying it was:
‘Extremely disappointing that
education departments had failed to publicly stand up for their schools in the
way that the Catholic and indepe4ndent schools groups had engaged in the
debate. ‘They should be champions for government schools, advocating publicly
in the interest of all children. They have an obligation to their schools and
their students to actively engage in this review.’
DOGS have continually, since the 1990s,
requested statements of commitment to the public system from politicians and
administrators responsible. They have been met with a deafening silence. (See
Press Release 55 www.adogs/info.pr55.htm
;
Press Release 72 at www.adogs.info.pr72.htm;
Press Release 150 at www.adogs.info.pr150.htm
Press Release 161 at www.adogs.info.pr161.htm
Press Release 193 at www.adogs.info.pr193.htm.
Perhaps is time that a strong commitment test – a commitment to public
education in word and deed test - be applied to all
ministers and senior administrators of public systems of education in
Australia.
And
Listen to the DOGS program
3CR, 855 on
the A.M. dial
12 Noon
Saturdays
And
Listen to the DOGS program
3CR, 855 on
the A.M. dial
12 Noon Saturdays