Public Vs. Private Debate

Is Public Education Dying?

The following article looks at the “privatisation” of education. It argues that this movement is now inevitable, but asks us to consider what our response should be?

In Victoria, history will be made with recognition of a private contribution to the funding of state schools, although tuition will remain free. It will also be the first time that non-government schools will be subject to the same accountability requirements as government schools.

Those who maintain the view that “public” is synonymous with “state” will be defending a position that has no counterpart among countries with which Australia is traditionally compared. There is still little awareness that high-performing countries such as Finland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Britain and some parts of Canada have integrated their systems of state and non-state schools, leaving a small rump of truly private independent schools.

Henceforth, “public” should be defined in terms of a set of public values that include quality, access and choice, with a commitment to high levels of achievement for all students in all settings, with all schools together, regardless of ownership, contributing to the public good in terms of the wellbeing of the individual and the nation.

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