President's Message
Welcome back to another school year, in particular to all those parents whose first child is commencing Kindergarten. For all of you who have chosen the Public Education system let me be the first to ensure you that your child has embarked on a journey that delivers a well-rounded, inclusive quality education and builds a strong foundation for their future.
A brief reflection of the outstanding success of the 2007 HSC students will provide all parents with a high level of confidence in the Public Education system.
This school year commences with a new Federal Government. We welcome Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard as the new Federal Minister for Education, Training and Workplace Relations and look forward to working with her in ensuring that Public Education is at the forefront of the government’s “Education Revolution”.
To date we are still unsure of the prominence of Public Education within the Rudd Government agenda. In fact no promising changes are evident as we work towards this goal. Most disappointing is the retention of the flawed Socio-economic Status (SES) funding formula that will deliver an estimated $7.5 billion dollars to private schools. While Kevin Rudd committed to retaining this formula until 2012, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the delivery of Education in this country cannot sustain this inbuilt inequity.
In addition to the continuance of the funding received under the former Howard Government’s arrangements, Kevin Rudd has announced a number of additional grants that benefit the private school sector only. Most notable amongst these is a commitment to subsidize security arrangements at Islamic and Jewish schools. Purely apart from the immediate drain on taxpayer funds there is the question of the continual fracturing of our society. If the government is serious about creating a secular, inclusive and multi-cultural society then it must cease supporting policies that continue to divide. Funding the massive growth of private schools at the expense of Public Education is one such policy that must be abandoned. We urge all supporters of Public Education to draw these inequities to the attention of their recently elected Federal representatives.
The funding inequities continue at state level with the reported $4.5 million per year in interest rate subsidies to private schools. Whilst we welcomed the scrapping of this scheme in last year’s state budget it is disappointing that pre-existing arrangements continue to be a drain on the public purse and deliver our tax dollars to some of the wealthiest private schools in our nation. This is particularly disappointing when our Public Schools are in need.
It is important to mention the proposed amendments to the staffing agreement between the DET and the NSW Teachers Federation. P&C Federation in recognizing some of the positive aspects embedded in these amendments reiterates its position that the NSW government is responsible to ensure that all schools across the state are properly staffed and that all students have equitable access to curriculum. Federation has long been a supporter of parent involvement in local teaching staff selection. We will continue to monitor the negotiations to ensure the best possible position for P&C Associations and outcomes for our children. A copy of these amendments is available under: Media/Latest News.
On the home front we welcome the appointment of Bob Hall to the position of General Manager of P&C Federation. Bob will lead our very capable staff at the Granville office to ensure that quality service is delivered to all affiliates. His leadership of this team will provide the valuable support to the Office Bearers and Council as they work towards championing the cause for Public Education.
Dianne Giblin
Federation President