The Wire

In the past decade, private school enrolments have increased by more than one fifth. Under the federal government’s current funding formula, this means more public money is channeled out of government schools and into the private sphere, strengthening public perceptions of a two-tiered education system. A recent study by ACER, the Australian Council for Educational Research, surveyed more than 600 parents of students in government, Catholic and private schools, about their perceptions of the differences between the sectors. The survey confirmed the Prime Minister’s view that parents choose private schools because they believe they instill so-called ‘traditional values’. Parents also cited better teaching and learning opportunities as reasons for preferring private education. But how accurate are these perceptions? What are the traditional values learned in a private school where students are only drawn from the ranks of the privileged? Is a school’s performance best judged by its academic results? and what are the benefits of a public education that can’t be offered elsewhere? ACER Chief Executive, Professor Geoff Masters, explained the push away from public schools.