I don’t think the Coalition federal government has a clue what is going on in NSW public schooling.
This state is well down the track to devolving power to local schools and principals. Teachers and principals in NSW public schools do not need any lessons from Canberra.
Not that NSW teachers and principals are universally happy about devolution. Many have deep fears about it all. But at least they are WORKING WITH the NSW State Government to get things done ( under the Local Schools Local Decisions policy ) and no state politician is handing out insults along with the restructure and rollout.
Unlike the Federal Coalition Government under Tony Abbott, which has created an insulting slogan to go with its independent public school policy. The slogan is “putting students first”.
Take note all public school teachers. The Abbott Government thinks you are not putting your students first. (I am not sure what it thinks you are putting first – probably something to do with “leftist ideology”.)
It is truly incredible that this is the ignorant and simple mindset coming from Canberra today.
Slogans and a $70 million apparently will “turn things around” for public schools. (The $70 million is to help public schools become independent public schools.)
What would turn things around for public schools is the extra $7 billion that was promised in years 5 and 6 of the Gonksi school funding reforms – the extra money that schools will not get under the Abbott Government school policies.
As far as independent public schools go there is no evidence that this type of school improves student outcomes. ( Yes said by many before.)
The one report on WA’s ( now infamous) independent public schools, pointed out there were “MAJOR CHALLENGES” in rolling out these schools. These include increased workload for teachers and the creation of another set of schools that have advantages over other schools.
Things have certainly changed for public schools since the election.
No one in Canberra is listening.
Maralyn Parker 