LENDERS BLATANT PATRON AND PROMOTER OF PRIVATE EDUCATION

John Lenders, the recently appointed Victorian Minister for Education has felt free to viciously attack the Victorian Public Education system.

The evidence for this is there for all to read in  the Herald Sun website of January 18, 2007. Admitting, blatantly, to a preference for the private elite non-Roman Catholic schools for his own children, he was reported as saying that  he decided against the State School system for religious reasons. He and his wife wanted to send their children to Christian schools. My daughter went to St. Margaret's in Berwick and my sons went to Carey . His wife is a teacher at Carey Grammar School.

Lenders added that he didn't agree that Labor ministers should be obliged to send their children to State schools.

VICIOUS ATTACK ON VICTORIAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

 By listing the five reasons he "chose"  private over public schools for his children, Lenders launched into a vicious attack on the public   education system attended by the majority of Victorian children. He listed these reasons as "literacy and numeracy"; "making children curious and articulate"; and finally  the "values sense". By implication he slandered the public school system, its teachers, parents and students . He inferred that public school are inferior to private schools in literacy and numeracy; the ability to make children curious and articulate; and above all he implied that the values taught in public schools are inferior to those taught in the private sector.

On the values question DOGS remind readers of the difference between the common and the private good, community and self interest - not to mention the prison statistics.

MANAGER NOT RESPONSIBLE MINISTER FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION

 Finally, Lenders stated that he was looking forward to the challenges of "managing the state school system". Like a manager he then came up with the corporate speak: "It is an extraordinary. exciting portfolio."

He talked about commitment to resources, not commitment to public education. He fails to support or provide evidence of any understanding of the importance of public education.

LENDERS RE-WRITES VICTORIAN EDUCATIONAL HISTORY

Like good private school promoters these days who have no understanding of the crucial part played by our public system in our democratic state, Lenders feels free to re-write the Free, Secular, and  Compulsory 1872 Act. He promotes parental choice above these three concepts, although the 1872 Act was about students having the choice of educational opportunities - in spite of church leaders, and parents wanting the first class ticket to heaven and the good job for their children! He believes that "parental choice" happened in 1872!

NEW 2006 EDUCATION LEGISLATION GIVES LENDERS POWER TO DESTROY PUBLIC EDUCATION (See www.fightingforpubliceducation.info

Tragically, the so-called ALP left, with Lynne Kosky whose children attended public schools, was used in 2006 to introduce educational legislation for the right wing of the LIBLABS to destroy our public education system. She also appointed privatisers and privateers in key bureaucratic positions.

In England, Lenders would be hounded out of the Education portfolio like Opus Dei Kelly was. It is significant that the  Lenders statements abusing public schools was highlighted by the Australian Christian Lobby on their website.

Lenders is badly compromised before he starts.

If he has any values about him at all he should resign immediately.

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