AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL FOR THE DEFENCE OF GOVERNMENT
SCHOOLS
PRESS RELEASE 856
KINGS SCHOOL HEADMASTER COMPLAINING ABOUT INEQUITY.
Why is it the privileged and advantaged who always claim to be disadvantaged?
Why have Australians, even to this point in the twenty first century, hung on to the egalitarian myth, when there is so much evidence of inequality, inherited religious establishments, class distinctions, lack of social mobility and inherited wealth in this Antipodean European settlement? And why have these inequities been systematically perpetuated through Australian education systems, ever since the earliest colonial period?
Attempts have been made to ameliorate rigid class distinction and improve social mobility through the free secular and universal public systems but the powerful and wealthy have always had to be bought off before there is any trickling down of wealth and privilege.
However, the current Plague has proved a surprising leveller in the area of sport. The headmaster of the oldest Anglican establishment school in the country, Kings School Parramatta, is on the war path, protesting the cancellation of the GPS (Greater Public Schools) winter sports competition.
He is even fulminating against preferential treatment of public schools!
We are told by Jordan Baker of the Age on August 25 2020 that :
The King's School is protesting the cancellation of the GPS winter competition.
The headmaster of The King's School has accused the NSW government of creating inconsistent, confusing COVID-19 sport rules that “make no sense” and advantage public schools over private ones.
The furious email, sent to parents on Tuesday, comes as schools involved in the GPS schoolboy sporting association continue fighting for an exemption to a COVID-19 ban on non-local school sports that would allow their winter competitions to continue.
Mr George also said the intention of the ban - to stop students from different regions of Sydney mingling - made sense for schools with predominantly local enrolments such as public schools, but not for private schools, which enrolled students from across the city.
“Consequently, the NSW Education decision favours students in government schools while disadvantaging students in non-government schools,” he said.
Mr George said competitive sport was of “critical importance” for the health and wellbeing of his students. “This latest situation makes no sense, especially as new cases have consistently reduced over the past week,” he said.
“The school will continue to seek discussion with the NSW government.”
Dogs believe it will be interesting to see whether the NSW Conservative Government thinks the sporting privileges one of the oldest and most elite schools in the State are more important than the protection of the lower orders of Sydney.
Some of the comments on the Jordan Baker article say it all.
John
You’ve got to be joking.
Private school headmaster complaining about inequity.
Ernie's Milkcart
Isn't it amazing how many headlines the Kings School gathers. Mostly praising some aspect of it. Its grounds. its buildings. Its history. Striped blazers. Advertising you couldn't pay for. No such focus on the schools attended by tens of thousands of students in surrounding suburbs. But then they are only public schools so they don't count.
Dan
"But don’t have double standards that result in inconsistency, confusion and inequity."
That's rich coming from the headmaster of a school that exists solely to encourage and increase inequity.
The Stone of Scone
The government advantages students in public schools while disadvantaging students in non-government schools? Helloooooo..... How many rifle ranges, water polo pools, girls rugby fields has your local public school got?
Glenn Newton
Why is it the privileged and advantaged who always claim to be disavantaged?
Tonyg
If public schools truly have an advantage over private schools under the government's current rules, that would be an historical first, and one which I thoroughly applaud.
Phil
No rules stopping Kings playing against Parramatta High. It's just that the headmaster doesn't think they should stoop as low as to mix with their neighbours, and would rather travel to Armidale to find the "right sort of school" to play against...
SWho
Apart from the fact that Kings and Parramatta High dont play the same sport
Campo
Soccer, cricket, touch .....I’m sure Parramatta High School offer their students a variety of sports rather than just rugger
nicko
Yes. Within the same community as Kings are Cumberland High (virtually next door), Parramatta High, Arthur Philip High and a little further out Carlingford High, Baulkham Hills High and Merrylands and Greystanes High schools. Or perhaps Kings could switch to swimming, using their Olympic standard multiple pools (you know, the ones they opened to Parramatta schools when the Parra pool was bulldozed for a football stadium), or focus on snow sports with their snow sports co-ordinator or just enjoy rowing out of their boat facility.
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