Press Release 259 argued for a commitment test to public education for employees and decision makers in the system.

Press Release 260 lists at least five ways in which a person can demonstrate his or her commitment to public education.

This commitment test should be applied to any person involved in or wishes to be involved in the public education system whether they are:

• bureaucrats

• consultants

• principals

• teachers

• support staff

• union officials

• activist or persons involved in support bodies.

1. Commitment to the strongest possible Public Education System.

This commitment requires commitment to the strongest possible public education system within the free, secular, and universal tradition established in the late nineteenth century throughout Australia. In Victoria, this was established in 1872. Such a public education system must be public in purpose, outcome, access, ownership, control, funding, accountability, provision. Since they are the only schools that are accountable for public money, only public schools should enjoy public funding.

2.  Commitment of Child/Children to the Public Education System

The major test for those who have, or have had children should be the consideration of where those children attend or have attended primary and secondary schools. If the public school system in which a person administers, teachers, is employed or involved is not good enough for their children at both primary and secondary level, then obviously this is a good measure of whether they are good enough for the public school system. There is no better test of commitment for people with children than where they send them to school.

3.  Working within the Private School Apparatus

Persons who have worked at any time in the private school system or its supporting apparatus cannot and should not be considered as suitable appointments. For example, a person's involvement with a private school council indicates a commitment to the private school system, not the public system.

Those  involved and compromised by administrative dealings with the private school sector cannot engender the trust required for persons working for the public sector. There are currently too many people at high levels in the Victorian public education system to whom this injunction applies.

4.    Primacy of Commitment to Public Education over : party political commitment; party political ambition; party political   success; career; and collaboration processes;

The troubled environment confronting the public school system is compounded by people whose commitment to public education runs a poor second to their commitment to one or more of the following: their own party political ambition; their own importance or career; a quiet life; decision-making processes and party political success. The parliamentary and bureaucratic scene is littered with such persons.

5.    Commitment in Word and Deed

If and when applicants for positions in public education have no children, a commitment test will relate to the sum total of their words and actions in relation to public education in the past, present and future. Not only must this commitment test be applied to past events, choices and actions. An undertaking should also be obtained for future commitment to promote and strengthen our public education system with committed words and actions.

Conclusion:

In the current political climate in which the Labor party at both State and Federal level is demanding that the very concept of 'public education' be avoided since they wish to subsume it  under the concepts of 'íntegration' and  'privatisation', the above indicia of a commitment test is more appropriate than ever before. The Victoria State Minister is now talking of employing private school principals for our public schools. What kind of a message does this give to committed public school teachers seeking a career in the public system?

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