Press Releases

State Aid Debate Alive and Well in Victoria

Press Release 590

Education Minister Merlino and Premier Daniel Andrews are confronted with a public education lobby that is very annoyed at his pandering to the private system, betraying the principles of the Gonski funding reforms . They are outraged that the government's first major legislative act on education passed Parliament last month, enshrining in law a guarantee for private schools to get at least 25 per cent of the funding the state gives to public schools.

Fiji is more constitutionally democratic than NZ or, in practice Australia

Press Release 589

by Max Wallace, WRITING FOR LA RAISON MAGAZINE

It is paradoxical that Fiji is more constitutionally democratic than New Zealand. (or Australia)

Firstly, what I mean is that no New Zealand-born citizen can hold the office of head of state. That status and power is retained in New Zealand by the hereditary British monarch who is simultaneously the Supreme Governor of the Church of England in England.

Fiji, by contrast,  has a citizen as head of state, the president, appointed by the Parliament.

What kind of Society do we want? A Market Place with Dog eat Dog or a Democratic Community

Press Release 586

The current public/private debate appears to centre around economic and market ideological issues with facts flying hither and thither. Since the stark economic facts are now favouring the public education side of the debate- private schools are more and more expensive on the public purse for less and less returns- the private interests are forced back onto dogmatic market ideology.

Both ignore the simple question:

What kind of a society do we want our children to inherit?

Privatisation: Children, but No Profit Left Behind

Press Release 585

There has been a manufactured ‘crisis’ in public education driven by ideological hype of the ‘New Right” in the western English speaking countries. This has laid our centralised public systems, systems which have served our democratic societies well, open to takeover and exploitation, not only by Faith education systems but by private profiteers. All at public expense.

An example of this is the RISE AND RISE of the British firm, Pearson Publishing – and its interference and dominance in American education over the past few decades.

Northern Lights by Andrew Scott

Press Release 584

AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL FOR THE DEFENCE OF GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS

 

PRESS RELEASE 584#

 

NORTHERN LIGHTS: ANDREW SCOTT

 

Private School Costs Spiralling out of Control: Why have them?

Press Release 583

The outrageous costs of schooling for a Bunyip aristocracy are a constant source of articles for education reporters. The latest report on the rising costs at the nation’s so-called ‘elite ’ schools appeared in the Weekend Australian 24-25 January. Figures indicating that the basic cost of educating a child in these schools equalled more than the cost of an average suburban home means that these schools are pricing secondary educational opportunities out of the insecure middle class market.

THREE EDUCATION MINISTERS WITH PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL BACKGROUNDS : Rewards for the Public School Vote in the Victorian Election?

Press Release 582

Although the private, religious school lobby attempted to influence the outcome of the recent Victorian election, it was the disaffected public school voters, particularly in the neglected developing suburbs and inner city that decided the outcome.
Education was a key election issue, with Labor making significant commitments to increase support and funding for public TAFEs, schools and preschools. However, it should be noted that Labor also attempted to ‘buy’the religious vote with a promise of $120 m for expanded facilities. James Merlino, like the Labor Party is Janus faced – facing both ways.

There never was a Genuine Needs Policy with Whitlam or anyone Else

Press Release 581

Education Commentators are romancing about the Whitlam vision for ‘Needs-based’ funding in Australia, and bemoan the fact that inequities are not diminishing but increasing. DOGS have news for them. There never was a ‘Needs’ policy and what has happened was predictable.