Postcode is not destiny

Researchers analysing completion rates and contrary to what Cobbold argues also conclude that students attending Catholic and independent schools are more likely to stay on and complete Year 12.

While the margin between government and non-government schools is reduced after adjusting for students' background attributes, the researchers conclude "Respondents from Catholic or independent schools are more likely to complete Year 12 than those in government schools".

As detailed by Michael Hewitson in his account of over 40 years teaching and being the Principal of one of Australia's largest non-government schools, postcode is not destiny and it is possible for so-called disadvantaged children to achieve success.

Empowering local communities by reducing centralised, bureaucratic control and giving parents a greater say, allowing choice and diversity in education and enforcing a disciplined environment with high expectations is far more effective than promoting a victim mentality.

As argued in the 2010 OECD publication "PISA 2009 Results: Overcoming Social Background", “Many of the world’s best-performing education systems have moved from bureaucratic “command and control” environments towards school systems in which the people at the frontline have much more control of the way resources are used, people are deployed, the work is organised and the way in which the work gets done. They provide considerable discretion to school heads and school faculties in determining how resources are allocated, a factor which the report shows to be closely related to school performance when combined with effective accountability systems.”