The enduring loyalty to public education
By Maree O’Halloran
Prime Minister John Howard must find the resilience of public education and the attachment of people to their local public school or TAFE college galling. After all, the Howard Government's policies have been clear: a supply-driven promotion of private schools to break people's loyalty to a universal and secular public system.
The promotion of choice by the Howard Government is the promotion of the few over the many. The promotion of choice attempts to demote public education to the status of a safety-net service. Yet after more than 40 years of state aid to private schools, the shift in enrolment between the sectors has been relatively small. In 1960 about 76 per cent of children attended public schools. In 2004 the percentage is just over 68 per cent. The shift remains small despite funding to private schools mounting to obscene levels in the past decade and free rein being given to those who wish to establish new private schools.
The small shift is testament to an enduring loyalty for public education. It shows a belief in the common good which incorporates the aspirations of individuals and the aim of a just society.
Nevertheless, unless this loyalty can be tapped and translated into vote-changing behaviour, the future of public education will be at risk. We live in a world of privately-funded public schools (also known as private public partnerships) and publicly-funded private schools. Total federal and state government maintenance of private choice at private schools now exceeds government maintenance of public universities. The Federal Education Minister Brendan Nelson projects that in 2003-04 private schools will get 60 per cent of their revenue direct from governments. (That projection understates the real level of support because it would not include transport subsidies and payroll tax exemptions, for example). Public universities now get less than 40 per cent of their revenue from government. (Financial Review, March 22)
The way education is funded by government represents a policy choice designed to head society in a particular direction. The policy choices being made at both federal and state level mark not just a privatisation agenda but the deliberate blurring of public and private so that attending a "public" school becomes just one choice amongst many. Yet even if the value of education could be reduced to a mere commodity or service, the choice is illusionary. Government maintenance of private schools demonstrates government support for schools whose enrolment policies exclude children on the grounds of income, religion and other factors.
The quality and universality of public education determines the quality of the society we live in; it determines the common good. The funding debate is about the values of particular governments rather than the values we teach in our public schools. As teacher unionists, belief in the common good is a driving force in our work as teachers and unionists. This synchronisation makes the Federation unique and unifies our campaigns. It also explains our proud history of confronting all governments whenever necessary. We now find ourselves in direct campaigning mode against the policies of both the Federal and State Governments.
Two governments -- one message
We are in a salaries campaign with the State Government and continuing of the public education campaign in the lead up to the federal election. Both campaigns are critical for the profession and the future of public education. The fundamental message to government and political parties in each campaign is the same: "Demonstrate that you value public education, students and teachers by significantly increasing funding to our system."
Federal election campaign
The announcement on March 11 of the Howard Government's quadrennial-funding plan for public education completes and cements its iniquitous and unfair funding regime. Public schools receive no increases other than indexation less one per cent for projected enrolment loss, Catholic schools receive indexation plus seven per cent and other private schools receive indexation plus 20 per cent. Perhaps nothing so starkly demonstrates the inequity of this system than the targeted funding for schools to meet the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act standard. Public schools educate 82 per cent of students with special learning needs yet they will receive 19 per cent of Commonwealth funding targeted to this area.
The NSW Education Minister Dr Andrew Refshauge has been instrumental in galvanising the state Labor Ministers to "resist" the federal funding regime. While we applaud his position, it would be reinforced and made real by the State Government breaking the nexus that exists at state level between public and private school funding. The nexus continues to advantage private schools while our budget is slashed.
Salaries campaign
We need a decision from the Industrial Relations Commission well before the State Budget, now scheduled for June 22. This timing would allow transparency about funding arrangements in the Budget.
The Premier and the Treasurer have commenced a media campaign about the financial position of the state, designed in part to dampen our legitimate expectations of a significant salary increase and to influence the Industrial Relations Commission.
Members are asked to hold the bans, provide parents with the letter about the salaries campaign and be ready for further industrial action if required.
Institute of Teachers
The Carr Government's announcement on March 23 of an Institute of Teachers will need to be tested carefully against our policy position. By legislation, all current public and private school teachers will be incorporated in the Institute. The governance of the Institute by the profession will be one of the critical tests for Federation support.
For further information
March 2004 contents
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