AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL FOR THE DEFENCE OF GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS - D.O.G.S.

PRESS RELEASE 132#.

26 January 2006

(Australia Day)

SCHOOLS TO CLOSE OVER POOR RESULTS

(AGE Nov. 19, 2005)

WHY HAS LYNN KOSKY FAILED TO RELEASE THE POLICY DOCUMENT "CAPITAL INVESTMENT AND ACCESS PLANNING POLICY"

DOGS suggest readers  link the information in this Press Release 132 with  that in Press Release 131 and ask the question:

Is the Closure of Schools Policy to be one of the Guidelines for the Registration Authority to "De-Register" State Schools and hand them over to private enterprise?

Was the Age flying A Kosky Kite on November 19, 2005?

A Report entitled, "Schools to Close over Poor Results" appeared  in The Age on November 19, 2005. Its contents were very disturbing for public school supporters and parents who want a local public school for their children to attend. Consider the following extracts:

"Some State Schools will be closed and their sites sold under a Bracks Government plan to fund major upgrades of schools.

The draft policy is a dramatic departure from current practices where government schools get extra money to improve facilities or build new ones.

For the first time in Victoria's 130 year history of State Education, government spending on school infrastructure will depend on schools raising student achievement levels. The draft policy was required to narrow the gap between under performing and high-achieving schools. If schools want money for capital works, they must first prove to the education department they have a plan to lift student results.

According to the policy document: Capital Investment and Access Planning Policy schools with dwindling enrolments and poor student achievement levels would be encouraged to talk to neighbouring schools about merging or reorganising into junior and senior campuses. The policy says some reorganisations will lead to school closures and the selling of sites but the education department would not direct schools to merge or close. Instead the process would be voluntary, with school councils proposing such changes to Education Minister Lynne Kosky.

This is not necessarily about school closure; it's really about the regeneration of schools in some areas Ms Kosky said."

Comment:

Deprive the State Schools of funding and proper maintenance , divert the money to private schools - and

BLAME THE VICTIM!

The tragedy of course is that there are many victims - the children who lose their local schools, their identities and their educational opportunities.

Those of us who have been through "Taking Schools into the 1990s" ( read "Taking Fools into the 1990s") and
Schools of the Third Millennium - (Read "Schools of the Third Delirium"), not to mention the Richmond Secondary College Rebellion and the takeover of our State Schools by land developers and churches, can only laugh rather than cry at the Kosky double talk. Does she really think we are that stupid?

However, if you look at Press Release 132, you will see that Ms Kosky and the Education Department plan o pass the buck to the Registration Authority to do the dirty work on our local State schools.

Where is the Policy?

According to the Age Report:

"The new funding policy was to begin in 2006. It will also require primary and secondary schools to develop a convincing "business case" for their facilities upgrade or re-organization. Schools must show that their proposal contains their best value and most sustainable option for a high quality school in the local area for the next twenty years....she (Ms Kosky) will release the policy within two weeks.

Comment

Nearly two months later, there is no evidence of this policy document in the Department of Education and Training website under the heading Policies. Neither is there any evidence of it on Lynn Kosky's website. DOGS approached the Department  and  Lynne Kosky's Office. We were diverted to the Facilities Section. The person we talked to had no clue about this policy document. So DOGS rang back and talked to a young man in the Education area. We left a fax number  and he promised to contact us. Dissatisfied with those two contacts DOGS rang the Secretary , Department of Education and training, Grant Hehir's office, and a young lady answered and said she had no clue about the policy document and said she would try and find out. She also was given the DOGS fax number. Months later, we have yet to receive any further information.

Was the Age misled?

Was Kosky being cute?

Or

Is the Education Department dysfunctional?

What DOGS have discovered is that there was a job advertised with applications being accepted until 23 August 2005 . The duty summary was

"To provide support to regions on the implementation of priority planning projects and provide advice on the local implementation to central office of the Capital Investment and Access Planning Policy."

This job was advertised by the Office of Schools Educati0n - School Resource Division.

Was Kosky Cornering Away the State School Pressure Groups?

The most disturbing part of the Age Report was the following. Ms Kosky said she :

""was in the final stages of consulting leading groups representing teachers, parents, school councils and principals."

Conclusion

Where is the report, where is the reaction to this "payment by results" and "death by many cuts" to our public schools?

Has Kosky and her privatisation advisers succeeded in skillfully snowing the key pressure groups ?

Would it be better to deal with a brutal Kennett rather than a Kennett with a smiling face and  "Snowing" Education Minister Kosky?

For further discussion on these matters, listen to 3CR, 855 on the am dial

at

12.30 p.m. next Saturday.