On Thursday the ALP have decided to allow parents to see some information collected on schools. It won’t be all the information that is held on school performance. It won’t let parents see how teachers are performing. It won’t allow parents to negotiate with their schools on their child’s progress. It is only a snapshot to allow it so that parents will have a knowledge base other than rumor on which to inform them when choosing a school for their child. It is not enough. Even so, the teacher unions will oppose it.
Consider the current practise of high schools nobbling their year 7’s so as to justify their support units. Most parents would be appalled to learn their children are being hindered from progressing so as to let their school retain extra staff to work their children. But that is the price of bureaucracy in these very political times in which there is little transparency. Yet the information collected by such sources as NAPLAN allows the Department of Education to profile specific teachers and know what is and is not being taught in their classes. Why shouldn’t parents get this insight?
The extra Head Teachers, Deputy Principals and middle management that the ALP divest the Department of Education of funds to supply have work to do, but it isn’t teaching students. Instead, it is supporting paperwork which has as its ultimate goal the purpose of hiding results from parents.
Teacher’s union claim that there is the possibility the results released may be used to create league tables for schools, and unfairly isolate good schools working well in difficult neighborhoods. On the other hand, it may well be the case that the unions are hiding bad schools abusing children in neighborhoods where the community deserves, and can have, better.
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Article written for Zaya Toma's blog
Fairfield needs development. It can't be limited to developers who give kickbacks to the ALP. It needs to be culturally sensitive. It needs youth venues, and activities, but the activities should not be limited to sport. Cultural pursuits also done in the USA are still worthwhile, even if there is some unreasoning hatred of the USA. There needs to be car parking. There shouldn't be so many holes in the ground. Rumble pictures should be employed to film Fairfield pride projects. Local schools need to be involved with local pride projects. Council needs to sell its ideas, not hide behind an undemocratic screen relying on the ALP majority to get projects approved despite community concerns.
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