AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL FOR THE DEFENCE OF
GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS
PRESS RELEASE 343
PRIVATE SCHOOLS OBTAIN ‘SPECIAL
CONSIDERATION’
FOR HSC STUDENTS IN NSW
Public
school parents and students have become inured to wealthy private schools and
parents crying ‘poor’ and playing with ‘statistics and damned statistics’ when
it comes to public funding. But the use of ‘special consideration’ and ‘special
allowances’ for students at New South Wales private schools in order to nurse
students through the HSC beggars belief.
As well
as provisions for people with genuine disabilities such as Braille papers and
large print paper, special provisions include extra time or rest breaks for
conditions including emotional and physical disabilities.
Anna
Patty, the Education Editor of the Sydney
Morning Herald (don’t hold your breath for
The Age to give similar information
on private schools and the VCE for
Almost
42% of students at one private school received special allowances in this
year’s Higher School Certificate exams. This amounted to almost eight times
more than the average proportion at public schools.
Furthermore,
twenty-five private schools, including Reddam House,
Scots College, Masada College, Frensham,
Cranbrook and SCEGGS- all of which fall into the high fee category, received
special consideration for their HSC students at more than twice the rate of
public schools.
In
spite of a promise to review the system of providing ‘special consideration’
for students suffering from emotional and physical disabilities after the
behaviour of private schools in 2008, the trend has continued in 2009.
The
following figures are of particular interest:
SPECIAL PROVISIONS
2008 2009
SCHOOL
% %
18.20 41.70 Glenaeon
Rudolf Steiner
20.7 26.40
29.50 21.10
6.40 19.00
18.90 17.90
24.50 17.90
14.80 17.00 The
14.00 16.50
14.00 15.90
Taxpayers
can thank the NSW Greens for the analysis of government figures. Unfortunately
Victorians could only wish that their Greens representatives would support
public schools and provide similar figures for their State.
In
NSW the Board of studies granted special provisions for the 2009 HSC
examinations to 9. 5 per cent of students at private schools,
7.6% of students at Catholic schools and 5.3 per cent of students at public
schools.
Yet
the proportion of actual students with a disability at public schools in NSW is
4.8 per cent which is almost double to 2.6 per cent at private schools.
The
NSW Greens MP John Kaye said that wealthy private schools were getting much
more than their fair share of special examination provisions.
But,
private school apologists spun the words around. The executive director form
the Asosciation of Independent Schools NSW, Geoff Newcombe said the system did not aim to provide advantage
but aimed at correcting disadvantage.
DEFEND PUBLIC EDUCATION AND STOP STATE AID
TO PRIVATE RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS.
Listen to the DOGS program
3CR, 855 on the A.M. dial
12 Noon Saturdays