Professor Vinson launches audit report.

Vinson audit judges Carr Government

MAREE O'HALLORAN reports on Professor Vinson's audit of the recommendations of his inquiry report.

Professor Vinson's audit evaluates public education in terms of its major purpose: "to provide all children and young people, for their own and the community's benefit, with the opportunity to develop their abilities to the maximum practicable extent." Commissioned once again by the Federation of Parents and Citizens and the Teachers Federation, Professor Vinson has spent 11 weeks with his colleague, Dr Kathy Esson, assessing the State Government's progress towards implementing his recommendations. In summary Professor Vinson found that the State Government had implemented some of the 2002 recommendations, most notably the class size reduction for kindergarten to year 2 and more professional development money in schools for teachers. Nevertheless, many of the recommendations have only been partially implemented and/or not funded with additional dollars from government. Some recommendations have not been implemented at all.

The audit calls for significantly increased funding to:

• arrest the school maintenance backlog: "two and a half years after the completion of the Independent Inquiry the present maintenance deficit is both unacceptable and a major cause of discontent with public education...a maintenance catch up allocation of an additional $90 million in new money for each of two years would help reduce the backlog to a more acceptable level."
• support students with disabilities: "much needed additional funding for low support needs students has not been provided."
• provide an additional 700 school counsellors: "the education system still lacks sufficient counsellors to even begin to meet demands, and the long term increase in their number proposed by the Inquiry is not eventuating."
• employ another 100 English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers: "Despite a continuing increase in the numbers of needy students, there has been no increase in the number of ESL teachers in NSW. This means that the ratios of teachers to students have actually worsened since 2002."
• provide additional Department of Education and Training pre schools: "there is no adequate substitute for pre schools attached to public schools in disadvantaged areas."

The release of the Vinson audit comes two months after the State Government advisory body, the Public Education Council, provided its report to Minister Tebbutt. The Council was established on Public Education Day 2002 as the State Government's response to part 1 of the Vinson Report.

In the wake of its final report the Council has been abolished. The Council's recommendations complement Vinson's recommendations. The Council's report said:

"The funds invested in public schools have not kept pace with the entitlement of all children and young people to the education they need to engage successfully in today's world. Resource levels do not reflect the unique responsibilities of public schools, leaving many schools without the capacity they need to carry out the work expected of them."

The Council report also questioned the wisdom of constant restructuring:

"The Council is aware of a range of competing views about possible future directions for public schooling, which involve different approaches to governance and financing. The Council does not accept that governance and delivery structures are ends in themselves and notes that many proponents of change are unable to provide evidence of the educational, social or economic benefits that would result."

The former chairperson of the Council, Ms Lyndsay Connors, told Women's Conference on May 21 that there was no crisis in public schools. Rather the crisis was at the policy making level. The Vinson Report and audit and the Public Education Council's report provide a sound platform to lobby state and federal governments for policy changes and increased funding.

The reports will also be used by the Public Education Alliance (parents, teachers and principal groups) to develop a new set of united demands for public education in the lead up to the state and federal elections in 2007.

Maree O'Halloran is the President.

State Budget little help

Back to school to celebrate success stories

Busy time for celebrations and lobbying

Good work of public promoters brought to a close

Radio ads celebrate success

Students march through town streets

For further information

May 2005 contents