Private schools hard done by, says Abbott

Date
    August 21, 2012


OPPOSITION Leader Tony Abbott has provoked a storm of controversy and contradicted the findings of the Gonski review into school funding by suggesting that state schools receive too large a share of education spending.   

Labor and the Coalition yesterday used an independent education forum to talk up their private-school credentials in the lead-up to the federal government's long-awaited overhaul of school funding.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard promised every independent school in the nation would receive an increase in funding, and defended big private schools as ''a great example''.


Mr Abbott went further, implying that private schools were being treated unjustly by receiving a smaller proportion of funding than state schools.   


''Overall, the 66 per cent of Australian school students who attend public schools get 79 per cent of government funding. The 34 per cent of Australians who attend independent schools get just 21 per cent of government funding,'' Mr Abbott told the forum.

''So there is no question of injustice to public schools here. If anything, the injustice is the other way.''


This contradicts the review led by businessman David Gonski, which recommended an annual $5 billion increase in funding to all schools, but with an emphasis on increased funding to state schools because they have a higher proportion of disadvantaged students.   

The review found that more than 80 per cent of students who could not ''participate in society'' because they were so far behind in reading and mathematics were in state schools: ''The concentration of this problem in government schools is evidence of the need for a greater increase in resources in those schools in particular.''   

Australian Education Union president Angelo Gavrielatos said Mr Abbott's comments betrayed an ignorance of the Gonski review and proved he would be the ''private school prime minister''.   

Trevor Cobbold, of the public education lobby group Save Our Schools, said Mr Abbott showed a ''callous disregard'' for the large proportion of disadvantaged students who were not receiving an adequate education.     

''It's a disgrace. Low-income students are on average two to three years behind their high-income peers. If we are going to do anything about the massive achievement gaps in this country, government schools need to receive the bulk of any funding increases,'' he said.

But Mr Abbott said the whole Gonski process was in part generated by the idea that the government somehow neglected state schools, and the risk was that funding for private schools might be cut.

Ms Gillard seized on his comments, claiming in Parliament that every state school in the country was ''on the opposition hit-list''.   

In the ensuing argument, Mr Abbott was thrown out of Parliament by Deputy Speaker Anna Burke, making him the first opposition leader ejected since John Howard in 1986.

Mr Abbott had been asked to withdraw a remark that was inaudible in the public gallery. ''I withdraw, but it's still an untrue statement,'' he replied.

''You could not help yourself,'' said Ms Burke, telling him to leave for an hour.

He returned to declare that he had no intention of cutting funding to state schools. His office said any such suggestion was ''just another lie''.   

Earlier, Ms Gillard moved at the independent education forum to dispel any lingering notions of class envy from the days of former leader Mark Latham's private school ''hit-list''.

''I've never looked at a big independent school in an established suburb and thought 'That's not fair, ''' she said. ''I look at a big independent school in an established suburb and think ''That's a great example.'''

Melbourne University professor Richard Teese said the Prime Minister's speech represented a betrayal of Labor's position on public education. ''It's completely a reversal of its historic position,'' he said. ''It's gradually acclimatised itself to a close position with private schools, despite the inequities that creates.

''There are big lobby groups and they have a lot of political clout and the government is being forced to pay a price for what it sees as fundamental reforms.''

But Independent Schools Victoria chief executive Michelle Green said parents would be happy to hear that both leaders supported them. ''Many of our parents feel they are not very well supported, when they do put their own money into their child's education.''   

With AAP

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/private-schools-hard-done-by-says-abbott-20120820-24ita.html#ixzz247geRFVP

Ex Dame Pansi wrote on Aug 21^st, 2012 at 7:27am:


You really are a dog.

Ex Dame Pansi wrote on Aug 21^st, 2012 at 7:27am:


Maggot.

Verge wrote on Aug 21^st, 2012 at 9:52am:


SHOCK! Oh what a surprise! Tony walked out of the room, got himself a talking to by his minders and then came back having done a backflip. Who would have thought Backflip Tony would do a backflip??!? 

Of course, WE know that Tony's first words are his true thoughts. The ones he's let slip before the minders slap him across the back of the head for saying something profoundly stupid. But should he ever come to power he won't need the minders, he'll be able to go ahead with the profound stupidity.