tcpip | Election Reporting (Greens and Schools), Livejournal, East Timor, Memage, the usual news.. and a ne

Could we have some more truthful reporting in this election, please? Apart from the utter nonsense that the Murdoch press came out about the Green Party's policies, now we have the bombastic treatment of Labor's excellent education package. Sixty-seven of Australia's most well funded schools have a funding cut. Nine and a half-thousand government and smaller independent schools get their funding improved. Yet how does that supposedly liberal paper, the Sydney Morning Herald conduct their online poll? "Do you support Latham's school funding cuts?"

Personally, I think there is a just question on why private schools should receive any government funding whatsoever.

Well, apparently both having a diary and using computers makes you sick. That about wraps it up for livejournal, right?

I suspect not.

Here's something to jot in your diary. "Revisiting September 1999: East Timor and Australian Foreign Policy" a presentation by Clinton Fernandes on Tuesday September 28 at the Globalism Institute, Building 37, Floor 5, Room 32 of RMIT from 12.30 to 2 pm. For queries or to RSVP please email damian.grenfell@rmit.edu.au

Clinton Fernandes is, quite simply, the smartest person I've ever met. He'll be discussing Australia's late intervention as part of an analysis that also addresses the role of the 'Jakarta Lobby', the construction of Australian national interest, and Australian relations with the Indonesian government. Oh, and he's just about to be published: Reluctant Saviour (Scribe, 2004), a study of the Australia-Indonesia relationship in the lead-up to the East Timor crisis.

A meme! I think I picked it up from

unsworn. I want anyone and EVERYONE who reads this to post (whether you have an LJ or not) to write a comment telling me something that you'd like to do with me one day.

And yes, I will accept "going crazy broadway style".

Back in the real world, all goes well with my CCNA studies, my Cert in Business, work and my PhD - even if I barely have enough time to scratch myself. I'm feeling pretty certain about the CCNA and am up to the point where I'm picking over a couple of specific issues rather than having weak/strong chapters. With regards to work/cert prospecting for clients is proving quite successful. I find myself pitching at least 2 serious proposals per week, although a recent debate over a motor vehicle website has unearthed how deceptive some in the IT industry can be - and I'm not impressed! I do have a new business website - comments are appreciated... OK, late for class, got to go!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I did some heavy thinking about the Labor education promise and I've come down on the side of not liking it... Mainly because it appears to punish 'choice'. I am fully behind giving public schools more funding because there is a serious question of quality. But I don't believe that private schools should be self funding. (I have a whole theory about it - quite long).

Plus as a friend pointed out both Liberal and Labor are focusing on the wrong issue. They keep talking about affordable education - important yes but HECS is a good system. I think the real issue is Quality Education. But neither are addressing that issue.

About that choice thing....

If I send my kids to school in a brand new Mercedes, should that be taxpayer subsidised? Why not? I'd be taking the pressure of the public transport system. I've made sacrifices for my children so they can have the most secure and safe transport available.

It's the same argument. Matters of need - and we all need some education in order to make informed choices - may have justifiable government funding. Matters of personal choice are not.

The reason why matters of "quality" aren't addressed is that is an extremely complex issue - and thus wouldn't feature in an election campaign. It has to do with the state statutory system, requisite staff qualifications, institutional autonomy and so forth.

As for HECS, well, I'm old enough to remember free tertairy education and it wasn't that bad - certainly better than having a debt for life! Interestingly most of our politicians who benefitted from free tertairy education aren't making much of an effort to pay it back

The bottom line is the amount of money that a society puts in their education system is the level of priority they give to education.

I don't think it is the same argument. Lets say it costs $9000 to educate a primary school child per year. Now if the parents want the child to go to a school that focuses on pastoral care and that is going to cost $2000 more - why should the parent pay $11,000. Ideally each child should get $9000 regardless of where the child goes to school.

In taking funding away from private schools completely you remove the ability to chose. That's not to say I think private schools deserve more funding - not at all. I just think students (and of course their parents) deserve to have that choice.

And practically there are govt schools that do not meet the student requirements. I went to high school in Port Hedland. I had to go to a private school in Perth to finish my education - the options weren't there in PH because there is no demand for them.

I don't think it is the same argument

Why not? The example you gave can just as easily be used to justify tax-payer subsidised private transport, as I previously indicated.

In taking funding away from private schools completely you remove the ability to chose.

No you don't. Noone is being forced to go to a particular school - if you want a particular, "special" service, then one can pay for it.

Private schools existed prior to taxpayer subsidies and could exist without them.

Personally, I am more convinced by Erudito's argument that says instead of funding schools you fund students.

Election Reporting (Greens and Schools), Livejournal, East Timor, Memage, the usual news.. and a ne

School Funding

Re: School Funding

Re: School Funding

Re: School Funding