Pyne is exhibiting hubris, which has become a recurring theme in the early days of the Abbott government. First it was stonewalling on asylum-seeker arrivals, with the Immigration Minister not even answering basic questions in Parliament. Then it was the Prime Minister, who was fatally glib in responding to the revelations about spying on the Indonesian President and his wife. Tony Abbott has refused even to explain or apologise. Now Pyne's efforts. If the government wanted a reputation for hubris, it is doing a good job. We are not even sure what, exactly, are the government's problems with Gonski. It is not about money. The Coalition, before and after the election, committed to matching Labor's $2.8 billion in extra funding to the states over the next four years. The Gonski model provides schools with federal funding on the basis of equal funding for each student, which is then topped up for disadvantaged students. Few have quibbled with this goal. So let the states take the extra funding and seek to put it to best use, trying to raise the performance of all students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. This is not to say the Gonski model is perfect. The main concern of the Abbott government is that Gonski provides extra funding to a system that is failing by a number of measures: it barely distinguishes between mediocre and excellent teachers; it is failing to lift standards for the most disadvantaged students; it is not attracting enough students in maths and science, and the national curriculum needs urgent review. None of these issues can be improved by funding alone. So while Pyne may have a point, he has taken a hatchet to a problem and created a mess that need not have happened.
In another broken election promise, Christopher Pyne has reneged on the Gonski school funding reforms of the previous government. David Zyngier from The Conversation says the represents a lost once in a generation opportunity to redress the incredible levels of disadvantage in public education.
In a bitterly disappointing move, it looks as though the government will now undo the vital Gonski school funding reforms of the previous Labor government.
But perhaps it should come as no surprise.
For six years, the Coalition has repeatedly told us that the Howard government’s model for school funding – the so-called SES (Socio-Economic Status) model – was working.
They said the schools were getting the funding they needed and as education spokesperson Christopher Pyne described it:
“... if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.
This made the Labor government’s school funding reforms, first discussed formally under the David Gonski review for schools funding, unnecessary. It was, they said, “all feathers and no meat”, “unworkable and grotesquely expensive.”
But just a few days before the election the Coalition made a back-flip. Opposition leader Tony Abbott announced that he would guarantee the reforms for at least four years.
Before the election both Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Pyne trumpeted their “unity ticket” with Kevin Rudd on Gonski, with Pyne claiming:
“... you can vote Liberal or Labor and you’ll get exactly the same amount of funding for your school."
He’s now back-flipped again and broken that promise, leaving open the possibility some schools would receive less funding than they do now.
'The biggest danger to public education could be a rejection of the so-called unity ticket, offering only a paltry one-third of the proposed Gonski increase in funding to disadvantaged schools after the Coalition finds a “budget black hole” and returns to the discredited SES funding model. This is the model they have always supported and if reinstated, it will continue to privilege the wealthiest and most elite private schools at the expense of the working class and the poor.'
Gonski was the most comprehensive review of school funding in 40 years — one designed to make the system better for all kids. It called for funding to be allocated based on the needs of the students, to be topped up with additional funding to take into account types disadvantage different students experience — such as Indigeniety, remoteness, second language learners, refugee children and disability.
Some people could object that Gus did not blur the face of the kid in the picture at top... Don't blame Gus. Blame the parents, the teachers, the two crappy bullies either side, blame the photographer but do not blame Gus. These "photo ops" are the mana of politicians in need of an election and in general mean nothing much more that the pollies have posed by the side of someone who "accepted" (it might have been forced upon them or they had no clue) the ideology presented to them by the said pollies. Kids beware... After the elections, these pollies of course do not do what they "promise". Rattus (John Howard) used to call these many broken promises "non-core"... Most of the "non-core" promises from the Liberals (CONservatives) are to our detriment. Most of the "non -core" promises by Labor are for protecting your future, kid — like the carbon pricing...
I hope that the bright kid in the picture, one day (I believe he would have already) recognises that some pollies like Pyne and Abbott are not to be trusted one iota. This kid actually might become the next President of the Republic of Australia if he plays his cards right. A big call from Uncle Gus, but by learning sciences, mathematics, arts and civility, I can't see how he could miss — considering the type of lying moronic boofheads either side of him having conned their way into parliament.
Go kid — go. The future is yours and in front of you. Be good and take it easy. Enjoy the playground.
recurring hubris...
We are not even sure what, exactly, are the government's problems with Gonski. It is not about money. The Coalition, before and after the election, committed to matching Labor's $2.8 billion in extra funding to the states over the next four years. The Gonski model provides schools with federal funding on the basis of equal funding for each student, which is then topped up for disadvantaged students. Few have quibbled with this goal. So let the states take the extra funding and seek to put it to best use, trying to raise the performance of all students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
This is not to say the Gonski model is perfect. The main concern of the Abbott government is that Gonski provides extra funding to a system that is failing by a number of measures: it barely distinguishes between mediocre and excellent teachers; it is failing to lift standards for the most disadvantaged students; it is not attracting enough students in maths and science, and the national curriculum needs urgent review. None of these issues can be improved by funding alone. So while Pyne may have a point, he has taken a hatchet to a problem and created a mess that need not have happened.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/smh-editorial/gonski-may-not-be-perfect-but-pynes-hatchet-job-unwarranted-20131126-2y80t.html#ixzz2lmilYh3U
Gus: beware of the review of the curriculum by these catholic Mafia mobsters... Public education is going to be gunned down...
they never had the intention to honour their words...
In another broken election promise, Christopher Pyne has reneged on the Gonski school funding reforms of the previous government. David Zyngier from The Conversation says the represents a lost once in a generation opportunity to redress the incredible levels of disadvantage in public education.
In a bitterly disappointing move, it looks as though the government will now undo the vital Gonski school funding reforms of the previous Labor government.
But perhaps it should come as no surprise.
For six years, the Coalition has repeatedly told us that the Howard government’s model for school funding – the so-called SES (Socio-Economic Status) model – was working.
They said the schools were getting the funding they needed and as education spokesperson Christopher Pyne described it:
“... if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.
This made the Labor government’s school funding reforms, first discussed formally under the David Gonski review for schools funding, unnecessary. It was, they said, “all feathers and no meat”, “unworkable and grotesquely expensive.”
But just a few days before the election the Coalition made a back-flip. Opposition leader Tony Abbott announced that he would guarantee the reforms for at least four years.
Before the election both Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Pyne trumpeted their “unity ticket” with Kevin Rudd on Gonski, with Pyne claiming:
“... you can vote Liberal or Labor and you’ll get exactly the same amount of funding for your school."
He’s now back-flipped again and broken that promise, leaving open the possibility some schools would receive less funding than they do now.
As I predicted in The Conversation just after the election:
'The biggest danger to public education could be a rejection of the so-called unity ticket, offering only a paltry one-third of the proposed Gonski increase in funding to disadvantaged schools after the Coalition finds a “budget black hole” and returns to the discredited SES funding model. This is the model they have always supported and if reinstated, it will continue to privilege the wealthiest and most elite private schools at the expense of the working class and the poor.'
Gonski was the most comprehensive review of school funding in 40 years — one designed to make the system better for all kids. It called for funding to be allocated based on the needs of the students, to be topped up with additional funding to take into account types disadvantage different students experience — such as Indigeniety, remoteness, second language learners, refugee children and disability.
http://www.independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/another-broken-pledge-pyne-says-goodbye-to-gonski,5925
Tony Abbott and Christopher Pyne are NASTY LYING IDIOTS...
the kid in the picture...
Some people could object that Gus did not blur the face of the kid in the picture at top... Don't blame Gus. Blame the parents, the teachers, the two crappy bullies either side, blame the photographer but do not blame Gus. These "photo ops" are the mana of politicians in need of an election and in general mean nothing much more that the pollies have posed by the side of someone who "accepted" (it might have been forced upon them or they had no clue) the ideology presented to them by the said pollies. Kids beware... After the elections, these pollies of course do not do what they "promise". Rattus (John Howard) used to call these many broken promises "non-core"... Most of the "non-core" promises from the Liberals (CONservatives) are to our detriment. Most of the "non -core" promises by Labor are for protecting your future, kid — like the carbon pricing...
I hope that the bright kid in the picture, one day (I believe he would have already) recognises that some pollies like Pyne and Abbott are not to be trusted one iota. This kid actually might become the next President of the Republic of Australia if he plays his cards right. A big call from Uncle Gus, but by learning sciences, mathematics, arts and civility, I can't see how he could miss — considering the type of lying moronic boofheads either side of him having conned their way into parliament.
Go kid — go. The future is yours and in front of you. Be good and take it easy. Enjoy the playground.