A genuine revolution

There are genuine concerns and indeed demonstrable problems with the current federal funding arrangements and there is a need for a transparent and open review of the current policy.

A more coherent public policy on education funding is essential: one that acknowledges the realities of Australian schools and provides the way forward for a more equitable and less divisive framework of schooling.

Building on the work of the MCEETYA (Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs), it is necessary to establish a national resources standard for schools in order to provide for the educational needs of every Australian student, and subsequently the public resourcing of government schools to the benchmark needed to provide quality education for every student.

Flowing from this, non-government schools should be funded by government on the basis of genuine need, with reference to the national resources standard. In addition, the development of clear principles to bring the differential funding from state and federal sources into a consistent framework are needed.

This would enable public discussion of funding realities to take account of all sources of funding for government and non-government schools and require all schools to be publicly accountable.

Teachers

Teachers across Australia make a vital contribution to the richness of Australian society.

However, federal and state/territory governments have failed to properly manage workforce planning and to address proper levels of professional pay for teachers across the span of their career. There has been a short-sighted approach in efforts to properly recognise the highly skilled work of teachers and to provide the kinds of professional support that is the norm in other industries.

The recently released ACER study Staff in Australia’s Schools 2007 canvassing the views of almost 13,000 teachers and school leaders asked the question “In your opinion do schools have difficulty in retaining teachers in the profession?” Two thirds of primary respondents and almost three-quarters of secondary respondents said “yes”.

When then asked: “To what extent do you agree that the following would help retain teachers in the profession?” more than 90 per cent of these primary and secondary teachers nominated smaller class sizes, fewer student management issues and a more positive public image of teachers.

Yet, the report In the Balance (PDF 2.24MB) published in August 2007, commissioned by the Australian Primary Principals Association illustrates what we instinctively know about teachers, that in spite of the challenges, difficulties and stresses, they remain positive about their work. Ninety-two per cent of primary teachers surveyed indicated they “enjoy their work as a teacher” and the same percentage, 92 per cent, believe they “feel able to make a difference to the students they taught”.

Government needs to make an equal return investment in the teaching profession and the schools they work in, knowing that this is what the Australian community wants and deserves.

Equally, teachers deserve both the rewards and resources to undertake their task

In conclusion, this list of measures, by no means exhaustive, may take a generation or more to achieve, but in that sense it would truly be a revolution and not just another faddish educational experiment or program setting.

Our grand-children can only hope for a genuine revolution. Or as Paulo Freire put it: “Thus to speak a true word is to transform the world”.