Minister Bishop supports vouchers for education

Vouchers will further divert funding from public education, writes ANGELO GAVRIELATOS.

On March 21, Federal Education Minister Julie Bishop was quoted in The Australian saying: "I am quite supportive of the notion of vouchers across the board. The notion of vouchers to give parents choice is a notion that appeals to me." Vouchers are a smokescreen intended to disguise the Government's intention to further increase the already existing obscene levels of funding to private schools. The resurrection of the notion of a voucher system to fund each individual's education would be part of an end game strategy to achieve the absolute commodification of education, smashing any notion of public education for the common good.

By denying public schools any guaranteed minimum level of funding, vouchers will further divert funding away improvements in school infrastructure, smaller class sizes and programs to meet the needs of all children.

While dressed up in the language of parental choices, vouchers will be beholden to the rules of the market place where in the case of education it will be the perceived "successful schools" that will choose their students.

In this "competitive" market, surviving schools will set fees at whatever level they see fit. As in all other social arenas, the market place always favours the individual choice of those with power, money and privilege.

When Angela's Ashes author Frank McCourt was asked if he would be for vouchers he is quoted as saying: "Only if you want to kill public education -- that sucking sound you hear is the sound of public schools collapsing with the voucher system."

Eminent Canadian philosopher, essay and novelist John Ralston-Saul said in 2002: "Any weakening of universal public education can only be a weakening of the long-standing essential role universal public education plays in making us a civilised democracy."

Angelo Gavrielatos is the Deputy President.

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