Independent schools are preparing to launch a nationwide campaign in Greens and marginal electorates calling out the “relentless and baseless vilification” of private schools and urging constituents not to support parties that would abolish their funding and limit educational choices.
Independent Schools Australia revealed it would begin targeting seats held by the left-wing minor party, as well as other hotly contested electorates, following increasing criticism over the allocation of government funding to private schools.
School funding is a crucible issue for Labor and its biggest source of division with its state ALP counterparts. The Greens are expected to push for reforms that would slash some independent schools’ funding in any power-sharing agreement with a minority Labor government.
ISA chief executive Graham Catt said his organisation was gearing up to take the fight to the Greens, with school leaders, teachers and parents making clear “they’ve had enough of the relentless and baseless vilification of families who simply want the best for their children”.
“Parents are making significant sacrifices in a cost-of-living crisis, and we know from our research that families – especially in key marginal seats – feel betrayed by policies that threaten their educational choices,” Mr Catt said. “With an election approaching we will be working to ensure families’ voices are heard loud and clear in key electorates, including those held by the Greens.”
Greens leader Adam Bandt declared earlier this year that his party would be fighting for more public school funding and arguing against “the continued overfunding of those very wealthy private schools that clearly don’t need even more public funds”.
The row with the ISA could be one of the Greens’ first major tests in holding the formerly Liberal Queensland seats of Ryan and Brisbane, with the potential to complicate the party’s plan to win more wealthy marginal seats off Labor, the Coalition and teal independents at the next election. As part of research by the ISA conducted late last year, more than 80 per cent of the 2000 parents surveyed agreed it was important that families had the right to choose which school was best for their child. More than 70 per cent agreed every child had a right to “some level of government funding” for their education, while 66 per cent agreed that if independent school funding was cut, the public system could not cope with the increased enrolments.
The Albanese government sought to quell concerns over a lack of funding for public schools this month, with Education Minister Jason Clare introducing legislation to lift the commonwealth share of state school funding by $16bn over the next decade after intense negotiations with states and territories.
captncanada on
I’ve never understood public funding for private schools. Why should we be funding private schools in Australia? If you want public subsidies, go to public schools.
RA3236 on
I don’t quite see how they are going to campaign on private schools specifically without looking elitist.
Brisskate on
If private schools provide such good education, how come the ex students haven’t been able to figure out a way to survive without government funding
ausmankpopfan on
The amount of vested interest and rich people in positions of power who are scared of the greens shows how successful our policies would be for the average Australian if given a chance in my opinion
wombles_wombat on
Private school kids, upper class bullies in training.
This just makes me want to vote Greens all the more.
silversurfer022 on
Of course if private school funding is cut, the current public school system cannot handle it. The point is that it’s not a funding cut but rather a reallocation of funding to the public system. What a totally disingenuous argument.
Express-Ad-5478 on
Private schools should not receive and government funding. Frankly they shouldn’t exist. Their sole purpose is maintain the upper echelons of society by protecting mediocre rich kids from competition from the rest of society. They shovel out of touch, emotionally underdeveloped morons into positions of power through our society. Australia is in the state it is because its decision makers are dominated by these arrogant elites.
9 Comments
Independent schools are preparing to launch a nationwide campaign in Greens and marginal electorates calling out the “relentless and baseless vilification” of private schools and urging constituents not to support parties that would abolish their funding and limit educational choices.
Independent Schools Australia revealed it would begin targeting seats held by the left-wing minor party, as well as other hotly contested electorates, following increasing criticism over the allocation of government funding to private schools.
School funding is a crucible issue for Labor and its biggest source of division with its state ALP counterparts. The Greens are expected to push for reforms that would slash some independent schools’ funding in any power-sharing agreement with a minority Labor government.
ISA chief executive Graham Catt said his organisation was gearing up to take the fight to the Greens, with school leaders, teachers and parents making clear “they’ve had enough of the relentless and baseless vilification of families who simply want the best for their children”.
“Parents are making significant sacrifices in a cost-of-living crisis, and we know from our research that families – especially in key marginal seats – feel betrayed by policies that threaten their educational choices,” Mr Catt said. “With an election approaching we will be working to ensure families’ voices are heard loud and clear in key electorates, including those held by the Greens.”
Greens leader Adam Bandt declared earlier this year that his party would be fighting for more public school funding and arguing against “the continued overfunding of those very wealthy private schools that clearly don’t need even more public funds”.
The row with the ISA could be one of the Greens’ first major tests in holding the formerly Liberal Queensland seats of Ryan and Brisbane, with the potential to complicate the party’s plan to win more wealthy marginal seats off Labor, the Coalition and teal independents at the next election. As part of research by the ISA conducted late last year, more than 80 per cent of the 2000 parents surveyed agreed it was important that families had the right to choose which school was best for their child. More than 70 per cent agreed every child had a right to “some level of government funding” for their education, while 66 per cent agreed that if independent school funding was cut, the public system could not cope with the increased enrolments.
The Albanese government sought to quell concerns over a lack of funding for public schools this month, with Education Minister Jason Clare introducing legislation to lift the commonwealth share of state school funding by $16bn over the next decade after intense negotiations with states and territories.
I’ve never understood public funding for private schools. Why should we be funding private schools in Australia? If you want public subsidies, go to public schools.
I don’t quite see how they are going to campaign on private schools specifically without looking elitist.
If private schools provide such good education, how come the ex students haven’t been able to figure out a way to survive without government funding
The amount of vested interest and rich people in positions of power who are scared of the greens shows how successful our policies would be for the average Australian if given a chance in my opinion
Private school kids, upper class bullies in training.
https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/private-brisbane-school-student-allegedly-confronts-kids-with-knife-over-missing-lollies/news-story/5db7b40349a11d9a6679480893b9d09f
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-18/sentencing-jacob-ramos-ram-raid-bashing/101544798
https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/education/a-reckoning-is-overdue-for-private-school-boys-behaving-badly-20211205-p59ew3
This just makes me want to vote Greens all the more.
Of course if private school funding is cut, the current public school system cannot handle it. The point is that it’s not a funding cut but rather a reallocation of funding to the public system. What a totally disingenuous argument.
Private schools should not receive and government funding. Frankly they shouldn’t exist. Their sole purpose is maintain the upper echelons of society by protecting mediocre rich kids from competition from the rest of society. They shovel out of touch, emotionally underdeveloped morons into positions of power through our society. Australia is in the state it is because its decision makers are dominated by these arrogant elites.