Turnbull continues to screw state education

Schools education funding has once again been in the media this week thanks to a Productivity Commission report that trotted out the predictable lines about "record funding and flat lining results".( even the NSW LNP education minister said it was a joke. Refer SMH

 

Conservative politicians, media and commentators were tripping over themselves in their haste to agree that when it comes to funding for public schools, "money doesn't matter".

 

These fact-free comments were sharply contradicted by the AEU's release of a new report by renowned education analyst Dr Jim McMorrow. Dr McMorrow's report makes clear the Coalition has no commitment to needs-based funding, and its plan will deny students the help they need. Disturbingly, the McMorrow analysis shows only $450 million of the extra $1.2 billion the Coalition has promised over four years will go to public schools.

 

Do the math. $450 million is 38% of $1.2billion.

 

Yes, you read that right. Under the Coalition plan, public schools will receive 38% of the funding, and private schools will receive 62%. And if you were hoping that $450 million will go to Victoria, think again - the $450 million over four years will be split between all states and territories.

 

In simple terms, the Turnbull government is denying our kids and their schools the resources they need.

Concerns with a rise in expulsions ( From the Age)

The Victorian Ombudsman is now investigating the causes of  a 27 per cent rise in expulsions in a year.

The Education Department's most recent figures show 201 Victorian students were expelled in 2015, up from 158 in 2014. 

There are concerns the number is even higher, as  "informal expulsions" are not included in official figures. 

According to department policy, expulsions should be a last resort. It is also the principal's responsibility to ensure the student is enrolled in another school or training organisation after they have been expelled. 

The Ombudsman's investigation into expulsions will also look at whether vulnerable students are over-represented and whether the Education Department is following the rules.

The department this week refused to provide Fairfax Media with Indigenous student suspension and expulsion figures compared with non-Indigenous students, citing privacy reasons.

A recent Youth Affairs Council of Victoria report warned disadvantaged students were being informally urged to leave school before year 12 by staff who assumed they could not pass or could not manage their behaviour.

Young people were also being encouraged to exit into English-language programs which may offer few future pathways, the report said. 

Georgie Ferrari, chief executive of Youth Affairs Council of Victoria, said parents contacting the council complained of being left in the dark about the reasons for their child's expulsions and their right to appeal. 

Ms Ferrari accused the department of "hiding behind privacy issues" in refusing to release expulsion data broken down by ethnicity and region.

The Ombudsman will investigate whether the data collected by the department is sufficient to inform policy. 

Education Department spokesman Alex Munro said the department would co-operate with the investigation "to help ensure the best outcomes for all young Victorians and their families".

"The expulsion and suspension policies are already being reviewed."

It would be interesting to see private school data on this!