An interesting article about changes to come in Australian public schools:
A flying squad of talent-spotters will work through West Australian high schools identifying and helping students who have the potential to get to university, under a landmark plan announced yesterday. State Education Minister Alan Carpenter said the scheme, the first of its kind in Australia, was set up in response to recent criticism of the state schools.
What sort of recent criticism was that? Parents are apparently criticizing with their feet by beating a path away from public schools, which have been labeled too "values-neutral" and politically correct. Australian Prime Minister John Howard wants ranking of public schools by performance, and has singled out the teachers union in particular as a bad influence.
Is a NCLB-type act in Australia's future? And what's this talent-spotting squad supposed to do?
Six professionals, not necessarily from an education background, would be hired to tour schools, meeting teachers and students and providing services such as target-setting and coaching. Mr Carpenter said he believed many state high schools matched or bettered private schools in the quality of their teaching, but the increasing competition for university places had forced the Government to focus on academic results...
The minister indicated it was time to put high school students under greater pressure to succeed. "Nobody should fall for this idea we should let children go through at their own speed. What does that mean? Speed them up, increase their potential, raise their expectations. Don't settle for coasting. Not every child will want to go to university, but for those who do, I want to give them the best possible opportunity."
I found this comment amusing:
Australian Education Union national president Pat Byrne said she she agreed students could benefit from extra assistance, but questioned the value of help from outsiders. "I don't know what six people across the state can do that isn't already being done in the schools," she said.
Yes, but what's the harm in seeing what they do? Unless the goal is to avoid any sort of outside influence in public schools?
More on what Australian parents supposedly want, here.
Posted by kswygert at February 3, 2004 01:51 PM