Private school graduates are over-represented in the nation’s parliament, with data revealing more than half of Independent and Coalition MPs attended non-government schools.
Half of Labor MPs went to public schools, including Assistant Employment Minister Andrew Leigh, who graduated from the selective James Ruse. “It was an easy place to be a nerd,” he said.
About 23 per cent of Labor MPs in the current parliament were privately educated. Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles went to Geelong Grammar, Parramatta MP Andrew Charlton attended Knox and Bennelong MP Jerome Laxale graduated from King’s.
Coalition shadow minister Angus Taylor also attended King’s, Paul Fletcher went to Sydney Grammar, Andrew Hastie went to Scots and opposition leader Peter Dutton went to St Paul’s – a private school in Brisbane.
About 30 per cent of Coalition MPs went to private schools, however that proportion rises to 39 per cent for shadow ministers. It is well above the 20 per cent of students nationally who currently attend independent schools.
Independent MPs Zali Steggall went to Queenwood, Allegra Spender went to Ascham, while Kylea Tink graduated from public school in Coonabarabran in the NSW central west.
The analysis is based on data on MPs’ school backgrounds compiled by think tank Per Capita. Where no high school information was available, schooling information was subsequently obtained by the Herald for most of the remaining MPs.
When it comes to Labor, public, Catholic and private school alumni reflect the current split of students in Australia’s schools. About 60 per cent of Labor MPs went to public school compared to 57 per cent of the current school-aged population. However, a disproportionate number of those who hold ministerial positions went to Catholic schools.
Labor public school graduates include Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek who went to Jannali Girls and Leigh at James Ruse.
Leigh says he loved the intellectual environment and the enthusiasm that teachers and students brought to curious inquiry and shaped his future passions and interests.
Assignments were handed back in order of the lowest scoring student to the highest, staff would play maths games at lunchtime and recess in the staffroom and teachers were passionate about the subjects.
“Judith Anderson – she was my English teacher and left me with a lifelong love of Jane Austen, William Shakespeare and John Donne,” he said.
Other MPs such as Llew O’Brien dropped out from Pittwater High early because he had to take on caring responsibilities for his mother while Warren Entsch also left school early in the 1960s despite dreaming of studying to be a vet some day at university.
“I was the eldest of four children … there was no such thing as HECS,” he said.
This year, newly elected British Prime Minister Keir Starmer made headlines when it was revealed just one member of his cabinet had gone to a fee-paying school.
Report author Emma Dawson said private schooling was a less stark indicator of class in Australia.
“But I think schooling is important because it is, to a lesser extent than in the UK, a way of looking at people’s class background,” she said.
“If they’ve gone to a government school they’re more likely to have mixed with not all privileged people and more likely to have come from a lower socio-economic background themselves.”
When it came to university education, 85 per cent of MPs hold at least one post-school qualification.
1 Comment
Private school graduates are over-represented in the nation’s parliament, with data revealing more than half of Independent and Coalition MPs attended non-government schools.
Half of Labor MPs went to public schools, including Assistant Employment Minister Andrew Leigh, who graduated from the selective James Ruse. “It was an easy place to be a nerd,” he said.
About 23 per cent of Labor MPs in the current parliament were privately educated. Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles went to Geelong Grammar, Parramatta MP Andrew Charlton attended Knox and Bennelong MP Jerome Laxale graduated from King’s.
Coalition shadow minister Angus Taylor also attended King’s, Paul Fletcher went to Sydney Grammar, Andrew Hastie went to Scots and opposition leader Peter Dutton went to St Paul’s – a private school in Brisbane.
About 30 per cent of Coalition MPs went to private schools, however that proportion rises to 39 per cent for shadow ministers. It is well above the 20 per cent of students nationally who currently attend independent schools.
Independent MPs Zali Steggall went to Queenwood, Allegra Spender went to Ascham, while Kylea Tink graduated from public school in Coonabarabran in the NSW central west.
The analysis is based on data on MPs’ school backgrounds compiled by think tank Per Capita. Where no high school information was available, schooling information was subsequently obtained by the Herald for most of the remaining MPs.
When it comes to Labor, public, Catholic and private school alumni reflect the current split of students in Australia’s schools. About 60 per cent of Labor MPs went to public school compared to 57 per cent of the current school-aged population. However, a disproportionate number of those who hold ministerial positions went to Catholic schools.
Labor public school graduates include Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek who went to Jannali Girls and Leigh at James Ruse.
Leigh says he loved the intellectual environment and the enthusiasm that teachers and students brought to curious inquiry and shaped his future passions and interests.
Assignments were handed back in order of the lowest scoring student to the highest, staff would play maths games at lunchtime and recess in the staffroom and teachers were passionate about the subjects.
“Judith Anderson – she was my English teacher and left me with a lifelong love of Jane Austen, William Shakespeare and John Donne,” he said.
Other MPs such as Llew O’Brien dropped out from Pittwater High early because he had to take on caring responsibilities for his mother while Warren Entsch also left school early in the 1960s despite dreaming of studying to be a vet some day at university.
“I was the eldest of four children … there was no such thing as HECS,” he said.
This year, newly elected British Prime Minister Keir Starmer made headlines when it was revealed just one member of his cabinet had gone to a fee-paying school.
Report author Emma Dawson said private schooling was a less stark indicator of class in Australia.
“But I think schooling is important because it is, to a lesser extent than in the UK, a way of looking at people’s class background,” she said.
“If they’ve gone to a government school they’re more likely to have mixed with not all privileged people and more likely to have come from a lower socio-economic background themselves.”
When it came to university education, 85 per cent of MPs hold at least one post-school qualification.