Price takes swipe at public education campaign

by Henry Rajendra

Federal ALP member for Chifley Roger Price has criticised the lobbying efforts of local teachers and parents.

While Rooty Hill HS Federation Representative Dean Newbold and parent representative Greg White were lobbying NSW Senators in Canberra, Mr Price was in the House of Representatives attacking Federation's campaign for increased funding for public education.

Mr Price said in Parliament on August 16: "I think the Teachers Federation have run one of the most dishonest public campaigns that I have ever witnessed. They suggest that public schools receive less funding than private schools."

During his speech, Mr Price failed to acknowledge that since his time of election to federal parliament in 1984 there has been a decline in the share of federal funding to public schools. Worse still, Mr Price was a member of the then Hawke and Keating Labor Governments (1983-1996) that was responsible for part of this decline.

For the past 23 years public school communities in the Chifley electorate, which includes St Marys/Mt Druitt public schools, have had a federal representative sit by and do very little, if anything, in opposing the decline in funding to public schools.

In a letter to the editor printed in the Mt Druitt-St Marys Standard on August 22, St Marys-Mt Druitt TA Secretary Michael de Wall wrote: "Mr Price says plenty, but his lack of action speaks louder than words. At this point, Kevin Rudd's 'education revolution' appears to offer as little opportunity to Mt Druitt students as Mark Latham's 'ladder'."

Public school teachers in the Chifley electorate will intensify their campaign for increased support and funding for their schools in the lead up to the federal election. Public education must be a national priority.

Henry Rajendra is a City Organiser.

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Last Modified: 30 Aug 2007