Enough is enough

by Angelo Gavrielatos

Conservative politicians led by Federal Education Minister Brendan Nelson and self-proclaimed "experts" have launched one of the most aggressive, extreme assaults on public education and the profession ever seen in Australian history.

This political phenomenon requires a concerted response from Australian teachers.

The attack on the profession comes in the form of a constant denigration of teachers and an unrelenting attack on our professionalism, ethics and responsibility towards our students.

The desired effect is the silencing of the profession during critical debates. This is clearly not an option. (The consequences of this non-stop teacher bashing at a time of teacher shortage, projected to worsen, are clearly lost on those perpetrating these attacks.)

Despite international evidence to the contrary, the same conservative politicians and commentators are engaged in an unwarranted attack on the quality and achievements of public education.

Under the banner of so-called concerns about quality and standards in our schools, they are intent on creating a crisis in confidence in public education. Coupled with government funding policies providing private schools with obscene levels of funding at the expense of public schools, this campaign is aimed at accelerating the flow of students from public schools contributing to the residualisation of public education and the ultimate privatisation of compulsory education.

The resurrection of proposals for a voucher system to fund each individual's education is not coincidental. Vouchers 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.

Concurrently, the attempt to destroy a curriculum and pedagogy underpinned by content and the development of skills enabling our students to engage in critical thinking and analysis is gaining pace.

This is evidenced by:

1. The so-called crisis in reading and the "phonics" versus "whole-language" non debate;
2. The attack on "critical literacy" and the capacity to deconstruct text in an age-appropriate way;
3. The suggestion that "Intelligent Design Theory", that is, creationism, be taught alongside scientific theories; and, most recently,
4. The attack on primary curriculum.

Professional responsibility is a source of pride for all teachers. In the words of Inquiry into the Provision of Public Education in NSW chair Professor Tony Vinson: "The irreducible core of teacher professionalism in public education is the progressive refinement, individually and collectively, of teaching knowledge and practices that serve the needs of children and young people."

Now more than ever, all levels of government must be held responsible for providing proper investment in public education to support excellence in teaching and learning for all and the achievement of positive student outcomes.

Public education is the crucible within which Australian democracy has been formed and upon which a vibrant future is dependent.

Enough is enough! This ideological onslaught must be stopped.

Angelo Gavrielatos is the Senior Vice President.

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Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005