Australian Federal Election

[spiny norman]

I really have to say, the debate that you get better education from private schooling is a bunch of crap. The best schools in the state (this state, anyway, and let's face it: it's the only one that really matters) are public schools. You can pay for a schooling amongst a group of people who are more wealthy, or from the same religious background etc, but going to a private school does not by any means guarantee you a better education, and the myth that this is the case is a foolish one in this country.

[Prime Time Andrew Doyle]

Your argument is completely flawed. You want more funding to elite private schools

 

When did I say I wanted more funding? I said that the fundng shouldn't be cut

 

We should fund education based on how much a kid wants to learn?

 

We should waste money on people who don't want to learn? That makes no sense, I believe that funding SHOULD go to kids who want to learn.

 

put yourself in the shoes of a struggling family

 

good to see you're not a privately schooled elitist prick

 

What do you define as struggling. How about having my father unable to work because he is on WorkCover and being suicidel. How about having to have my mother work two jobs to support our family.How about living in shoebox of a house, which is falling apart and not having a car from 1994-1997. Bceuase that was the situation I was in. Up untill the end of Year 9 I was at Samaritan, where I lost count of the amount of times the police rocked up the front of our school. I also lost count the amount of machettes I saw at school. I only got out of that situation after my fathers compensation claim was finished. Don't call me elitist when you have no idea what you are talking about.

 

But a school doesn't need a sports centre to give children an education

 

Whose money do you think our sports centre is getting built with. The Parents who make donations. Countless times in newletters were notices about giving money towards that. Our school theatre was paid for by the generous donations of parents. I won't be there for the completion of the Sports centre, but I damn sure persuaded my parents to donate money towards it, because I know that those facilities help.

[tommytomlin]

How do you determine which kids want to learn? Do we do an analysis of the school and say 'Well, you've got 16 kids who want to learn, so you'll get $100,000. Sorry about the rest.'

 

If you're calling public school kids who (according to you) don't want to learn 'knuckledraggers', then I'm going to call you an elitist prick. You don't have to be rich to be an elitist prick.

 

I'm aware there's thousands of families who struggle to send their kids to these elite schools. But I'm also aware that there's hundreds of other private (and public) schools these struggling parents can send their kids to for just the same standard of education, and for about $15,000 less a year. Its called living within your means. If you're working two jobs so you can send your kid to a school to get 'pastoral care' and so you can donate to give them a Sports Centre, then fine. But don't bitch when you get your funding cut to buy a struggling public school some fucking textbooks.

[Guest TJH]

What choice is that??

What it sounds like --- and I could be wrong --- is that you're allowed to divert your taxes in Australia from public schools to pay for private schooling.

 

This is an exceptionally controversial belief here (even moreso, because the pols and union leaders who support public schools don't send their kids there).

-=Mike

You don't divert taxes per se, the government just funds EVERY school, public or private, but the degree varies, so that richer schools get less, and public schools get more funding. It's quite a fair system, so that everyone gets some support, no matter what,

 

Incidentally, I went to a school which was on Latham's hit list, and we didn't have air conditioning in ANY classrooms.

 

And yes, the unions have been trying to fight it ever since it was brought in (around the late 1950's) including innumerable High Court challenges to prove it is unconstitutional, which have failed every time.

[Guest Nanks]

Now you mention it, my school (also on Latham hit list) didn't have air conditioning either. We had overhead fans though.

[Prime Time Andrew Doyle]

How do you determine which kids want to learn? Do we do an analysis of the school and say 'Well, you've got 16 kids who want to learn, so you'll get $100,000. Sorry about the rest.'

 

If you're calling public school kids who (according to you) don't want to learn 'knuckledraggers', then I'm going to call you an elitist prick. You don't have to be rich to be an elitist prick.

 

I'm aware there's thousands of families who struggle to send their kids to these elite schools. But I'm also aware that there's hundreds of other private (and public) schools these struggling parents can send their kids to for just the same standard of education, and for about $15,000 less a year. Its called living within your means. If you're working two jobs so you can send your kid to a school to get 'pastoral care' and so you can donate to give them a Sports Centre, then fine. But don't bitch when you get your funding cut to buy a struggling public school some fucking textbooks.

It's easy to see what kids want to learn. Look at the statistics, look at teachers records over time. Private schools are constantly high performers when it comes to VCE.

 

How am I elitist if I believe that the overwhelming majority at schools like Thornbury Darrebing and knuckle draggers. Those are words used by one of my teachers who taught at that school, to describe the students their that obviously could give two shits about their education.

 

It's not the same standard of education. The education I receive at SKC is far greater than that of Samaritan. My English teacher has been teaching English for 35 years. My Buisness Management teacher has always produced top results in the years he has been teaching. In a cohort of 30 students last year, over half recieved a study score of 40 for Buis Man. And Im not sure how many times I am going to say this, but my school WAS NOT going to be affected by the cuts. I am saying however, that why should many other schools like mine have their funding cut or frozen.