What is the education revolution?
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has big dreams for education. From his election in November 2007 to reforms made in August 2008, he has created education policies for pre-schools through to universities.
The 19.3 billion-dollar changes involve schools and teachers, internet and computer access, welfare and attendance, trades and work training, and disadvantaged groups in rural and Aboriginal communities.
So what kind of changes might we actually see?
Digital learning: 1.2 billion dollars has been set aside to give every Aussie kid from year 9 to year 12 access to a computer and the internet in schools. This project is intended to mesh with the national broadband policy.
Teachers: Graduates will be lured into teaching with extra pay and encouraged to teach in disadvantaged areas. Good teachers will be paid more than crap ones, and principals will have the power to hire and fire teachers based on performance.
Schools: Public ranking of individual schools will let kids and parents know if their school is good or bad when compared to similar schools. Disadvantaged schools and schools with poor rankings will get extra funding and programs such as after-school coaching. If they keep sucking, the teachers and principal will be replaced. If the school still performs badly, it will be merged with another more successful school – that’s pollie speak for shutting them down.
A national course outline: Every student in Australia will learn the same english, maths, science and history courses – probably leading to a standardised year 12 test.
Truancy: Schools will be able to advise Centrelink of kids who repeatedly miss school. Their parents will have their welfare payments cut for 13 weeks. Parents who try to get their kids to go will not be punished, while those who still do nothing can have their welfare cut altogether.
Trades and training centres: 2.5 billion dollars is going towards building centres in high schools all around Australia to help school leavers and tradies get jobs.
Why should we get behind Rudd?
Our country’s economy is based on primary industry like farming and mining, which can’t support our growing needs alone. We need to develop secondary industry like businesses and factories, and for these kinds of jobs we need more educated people.
Australia has low levels of year 12 completion for a developed country. Research shows that about a quarter of Australian kids from rural schools or disadvantaged backgrounds get such poor educations that they are unlikely to find work.
Australia’s economic growth depends on a uniform education system which ensures access to digital information and facilities. Youth deserve a system where their schools are held accountable for crappy results.
Why should we kick Rudd’s policies in the behind?
The teachers’ unions don’t want their jobs jeopardised.
State governments pass laws to stop kids from going to better schools out of their area. If performance rankings are publicly announced kids will flock to the higher ranking schools regardless of these laws.
The federal opposition has doubts about how well Rudd will be able to run the show when education is supposed to be a state government responsibility. He will have to negotiate and use funding to get his way.
Even fellow Labor politicians are worried about the proposed truancy policy. What will welfare cuts do to disadvantaged families? There’s no proven link between truancy and welfare-receiving families…what’s going to stop kids whose parents aren’t on Centrelink from skipping school?
When does the revolution begin?
Most of the policies will be in place by January 2009, but these kind of changes happen slowly, so it will take a whole generation for us to see if we are truly better off.
How do I know this?
Parliament of Australia Website, ‘Quality education: the case for an education revolution in our schools: address to the National Press Club, Canberra [and] Questions and answers.’
parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.
w3p;adv=;db=;group=;holdingType=;id=;orderBy=;page=
1;query=August%2027%202008%20Education;querytype=;rec=2;resCount=Default , viewed 9 October 2008
Prime Minister of Australia’s Website, ‘Joint Media Release with the Deputy Prime Minister, Julia Gilliard, An Education Revolution in our Schools’
www.pm.gov.au/media/Release/2008/media_release_0444.cfm, viewed 9 October 2008.
Parliament of Australia Website, ‘Social Securite and Veterans’ Entitlements Legislation Amendment (Schooling Requirements) Bill 2008 - Second Reading’
parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;
adv=;db=;group=;holdingType=;id=;orderBy=dateeFirst;
page=0;query=Truant%20Welfare;querytype=;rec=0;resCount=Default viewed 9 October 2008
ABC News Website, ‘Schools asked to dob in truants to Centrelink’
www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/08/27/2347806.html viewed 9 October 2008.
