Private or Public Schools?

[Rorschach]

No government funding of private schools... ever.
It aint private if its funded by the public.

That's a bridge too far for me Rorschach. I'm no libertarian.

If the government didn't collect taxes and funnel them to parents in some fashion (in my thinking, a voucher system), there would be an entire class of people who couldn't afford to educate their children. Education is expensive. You'd create a massive uneducated underclass who would turn to crime, prostitution, drugs, etc. Poverty would be everywhere.

Government needs to fund education. It just needs to be done very differently to how it is now. A voucher system is the closest way you could turn schools into private enterprises, and still have them largely funded by government.

Oh dear rich people just keep wanting public subsidies.

The point is public is public and private is private... they aint the same.

Personally I think the federal government should butt out of state issues and I think any funding should be per pupil, not per school and not for PRIVATE schools.
if you want your children privately educated then you can pay for it.

[Rorschach]

How about slipping some on?

As Herbert would say, you brazen hussy!

On the topic, I think it was you orchid who spoke about the dreadful state of Australian public schools. I actually favour a voucher system where each parent gets x to spend on the school of their choice. I think schools should be privatised.

I think all selective and OC schools should be abolished and every school should have classes for high performing students.

Agreed. Add to that children with special needs shouldn’t be in mainstream classes.

Our local high school has a dedicated unit of 2 classrooms for specials needs. One for very disabled such as downs and one for kids with autism. I think it's really good to have them in the same school as everyone will learn something, but obviously not in the same classes.

I'll tell you one thing they learn Gordon, disrespect and bullying from the "normal" students. And that's during recess and lunch mostly...

[Rorschach]

No government funding of private schools... ever.
It aint private if its funded by the public.

Why? Peoole who send their children to private schools are high tax paying individuals. The amount the school gets should be means tested but it shouldn't be zero.

I think I've explained my reasons very clearly Gordon.

[Black Orchid]

I don't think Gordon has had a chance to read it yet

[Rorschach]

I think he has after all its in my first post the one he replied to.

[BigP]

No government funding of private schools... ever.
It aint private if its funded by the public.

An interesting point you make, A public school that only children of the wealthy can attend ?

[Gordon]

No government funding of private schools... ever.
It aint private if its funded by the public.

Why? Peoole who send their children to private schools are high tax paying individuals. The amount the school gets should be means tested but it shouldn't be zero.

I think I've explained my reasons very clearly Gordon.

Well I disagree.

Not all private schools are dripping with money and some are just financially viable. Even if these schools are receiving on a per student basis the exact same as a public school, the Govt is still saving a ton of money. Imagine if a very modest private school with an enrollment of 1000 students closed. The infrastructure spend required by the Govt to facilitate these extra students in the public system would be huge and dwarf the per student contribution.

I'd adopt the following model for private school funding. There would be two components. A tuition component and an infrastructure component.

Every private school would receive per student the tuition component to the same level of what it costs for a student in a neighboring public school.

The infrastructure component would be assessed on a school by school basis. If the school has what is considered to be the lower than the minimum level of infrastructure of a public school in the same area, it would be funded.

If the school exceeds that level, it gets nothing.

[Black Orchid]

Apart from the cost of attending a private school I think too many people are unnecessarily biased towards a private education for unknown rusted on 'liberal' reasons.

The simple fact is that you get more opportunities with a private school education behind you and generally a more rounded education based on what is important in order to ultimately acquire what you need to achieve in the real world, especially if you are above average. The basic core educational requirements have been abandoned by the government system in favour of appeasing minority quirks and grievances.

Each child is different though and what suits one does not necessarily suit another, even from within the same family. One child might suit private whereas the next child might be more suited to public.

We have a generation of kids who cannot spell and who can only type in 'text speak' abbreviations. Many cannot even read and they are falling through the government cracks constantly. This would not happen in the private system.

Parents need to stand up and be heard. Our public system used to be excellent but not now that is is being run by progressive imbeciles. It's the parents of children now who need to make a stand and change the system.

[Bobby]

One of my friends took his son out of a public school
& educated him at home because of the following points:


The public schools are so run down -

no hot water, stinking old toilets,
buildings full of dangerous asbestos,
no air conditioning or heating,
no swimming pool,
no tennis courts,
no gymnasium,
poor science labs with little equipment,
bad street kids,
kids shooting up heroin and ice in the dunnies,
the worst low paid teachers.

It's no place for any kid you care about.

Still what can a parent do if they have no money for a private school?

[Gordon]

Exactly BO. I'm pretty sure my girl would actually be fine at a public high school as she's very motivated.

She was recently chatting to a neighbour who just moved to year 7 public and was told the teachers don't say a thing if you don't hand in homework/assignments. The parents have no way of knowing what work is being handed out so can't follow up.
This simply would not happen at a good private school.

If a kid is hungry they will probably do just as well at either but the ones who need more structure do better at a public school.
Conversely, some kids who march to a different drum and are clearly not academic but have strengths in other areas may be stifled by the rules of a strict private school.