Victoria’s private schools would choose between abolishing fees and entrance exams or losing all government funding, under a proposed radical education overhaul adapted from Ontario.
asserted
schools → choose → Ontario
Non-government schools would accept all students within their geographical zone, fee-free, and receive full government funding or continue selecting fee-paying students and be cut off, as part of a plan designed to prevent social segregation.
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schools → accept → segregation
Teacher and Waiting For Gonski author Tom Greenwell, who detailed the plan in a report he co-authored, Choice and Fairness, said the current education system allowed private schools to pluck the brightest students from classrooms with little accountability for delivering quality.
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schools → detail → quality
“Overhauling our system to create fully publicly funded, fee-free local schools in all sectors will produce fairer educational outcomes, stronger communities, and a more liveable and sustainable city,” Greenwell said.
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Greenwell → overhaul → outcomes
In their report, Greenwell and co-author Chris Bonnor, a former principal and head of the NSW Secondary Principals’ Council, argue that non-government schools that agree to no fees and no selectivity should receive full public funding to meet recurrent and capital costs on the same needs-basis as government schools.
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that → argue → schools
Religious schools would be free to continue teaching faith-based education, and all non-government schools would be free to operate independently of the Department of Education.
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schools → continue → Education
Non-government schools that continued to charge fees or reject inclusive enrolment obligations would no longer receive public money.
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that → continue → money
In Canada, each province runs its own school system, and the national government plays no part in education.
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government → run → education
The result is contrasting schooling systems whereby some provinces have socio-economically diverse schools and other systems are more comparable to Australia’s – which experts agree is one of the most segregated in the OECD.
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experts → contrast → OECD
In Ontario, both the Catholic and secular school systems are fully publicly funded, resulting in 93 per cent of students attending a fully publicly funded, fee-free school which serves students from a local enrolment zone.
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which → fund → zone
Under Greenwell and Bonnor’s plan, school zones would be regularly revised to maximise socio-economic balance, and schools would compete on student outcomes rather than their capacity to attract resources and the “right” students.
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schools → revise → resources
Greenwell said private schools had an incentive to accept the proposal because full public funding provided long-term financial sustainability.
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funding → say → sustainability
“Absent the need to charge fees, non-government schools will be in a position to grow their enrolment share.
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schools → charge → share
That goes to the heart of organisational self-interest,” he said.
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he → go → interest
“But there is also genuine concern amongst many non-government school communities that fees exclude the less fortunate.
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fees → be → fortunate
The opportunity for faith schools to enrol children from all families in their community, not just those who can afford the fees, is a significant factor.”
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who → enrol → fees
Both Bonnor and Greenwell travelled to Canada as part of a study tour investigating international education systems.
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Bonnor → travel → systems
Greenwell said Ontario’s schools exhibit greater socio-economic diversity than Australia’s, and the province has consistently outperformed Australia in every Programme for International Student Assessment domain in every round since the test’s inception.
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province → say → inception
“Right now, in reading ability, a year 3 student in a disadvantaged school will be an average eight months of learning behind a peer from the same background in a more advantaged school ...
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student → learn → school
That’s according to the Productivity Commission,” Greenwell said.
uncertain
Greenwell → accord → Commission
Related
“If we can create a more socially mixed system, those eight-year-olds are much more likely to find themselves sitting next to kids with a wider vocabulary who have already absorbed a broader general knowledge to apply it to.
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who → create → it
“And they are more likely to find themselves in classrooms where teachers aren’t overwhelmed by a preponderance of learning difficulties and behavioural challenges – which means the class spends more time on task, and the child receives more individual attention from the teacher.”
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child → find → teacher
Greenwell said the urban benefits of all schools being required to enrol all local students who applied included reduced traffic, house prices and pollution.
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who → say → traffic
“There’s not much point in having a 15-minute city if families routinely hop in the SUV and drive 45 minutes or more to do the drop-off
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families → have → off
,” he said.
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he → say → ?
“The current scenario increases carbon pollution, noise and air pollution and reduces quality time enjoyed by families and individuals, as well as stress on road and other transport systems.”
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scenario → increase → systems
Greenwell said housing affordability in the nation’s largest city, which Melbourne is set to become by about 2032, was clearly one of the most important and challenging issues.
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Melbourne → say → issues
“Local schools that are as attractive as any others – because they are just as well resourced and have a socially mixed cohort – is a vital piece of the puzzle,” he said.
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he → resource → puzzle
“The cutthroat competition to get into leafy green suburbs the right side of the preferred school zone is the stuff of real estate legend.
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competition → get → legend
It’s not going to cease completely.
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It → go → ?
But it is possible to take the heat out of it by ensuring that every suburb, especially those furthest from the CBD, has a range of local schooling options where families are excited to enrol their children.”
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families → take → children
Melbourne Assembly will be held from October 19 to October 21.
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Assembly → hold → October
Continue this series
Melbourne AssemblyUp next
In a lecture theatre inside one of Melbourne’s premier design schools, Jeremy McLeod took the podium – and rattled the room.
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McLeod → continue → room
Compared to other capital cities, Melbourne’s property market is a success story.
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market → compare → cities
But the Coalition wants to axe Labor’s controversial activity centres in favour of other solutions.
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Coalition → want → solutions
The Aporia
