DOGS provide public school supporters with the following alternatives to the ALP and Coalition in the Federal Elections:

DOGS cannot unconditionally support the Greens and Democrats because they do not have a No State Aid education policy. However, the Greens at least recognise the existence and needs of public education when they state

The Greens

'The Australian society is best served in the long term through educating our children in a system which brings them together to learn side by side. High levels of enrolments in public school system are healthy for our community and the Commonwealth funding policy should reflect this.

All people are entitled to a free well funded and high quality, life long public education and training. The principle responsibility of government is to fund and support a high quality public education system available to all people.

The Greens policy commits to a total funding increase to public schools of $3. 4 billion each year. This is over and above the additional $2.9 billion per year that the federal government's own ministerial task force has estimated is needed for public schools to reach agreed national goals of schooling.

Unfortunately 'the Greens funding policy outlined on 14 November 2007 indicates that the Greens also support funding for private schools. Specifically they support the continued funding of such schools including the funding increases delivered by the federal government from 1996-2004 except in the case of the very wealthy schools.

The Democrats

The Democrats have a very similar policy to the Greens.

'Non-government school funding to take into account existing and historical whole of school income and assets and conditional on compliance with the same obligations as government schools in reporting, providing for special needs, minimum curriculum options for all students, and FOI and non-discrimination ''

The Democrats would also give an extra $2.9 billion a year in tied Commonwealth  funding to public schools.

No-State Aid Political Groups For Public School Supporters to Consider

In the last couple of days DOGS have researched and discovered at least three groupings that have a No-State Aid policy.

These are:

1.    The Secular Party of Australia which is standing candidates in the Senate in Victoria ( John Perkins and Andrew Conway) declare that 'they are concerned about the rising influence of religion on government policy and wish to establish and maintain a true separation of church and state in Australia. They are against

• Government subsidies and tax breaks for religious organisations

• Government support of schools which force religion onto all students

2.   Joe Toscano and his group in the Victorian Senate. Joe has personally indicated that his group is supporting public education and is against State Aid to private church schools.

3.   The Socialist Alliance in the Victorian House of Representatives and Senate seats. On their information sheet they state that they 'believe that education is a right, not a privilege, yet private schools now get more public funding than the entire public universities sector. Federal funding should only go to public schools, universities and TAFES and be massively boosted. School and tertiary fees and HECS should be abolished.

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