We need to lift the standard of state schools

July 28, 2004

Parents of children at private schools are breathing a sigh of relief, writes Shane Green.

Accountability is the word in education. Governments, both federal and state, have responded to the growing demands voiced by parents who want more information about schools, and how their children are performing.

As a basic concept, this is a good thing. Public education is littered with horror stories of children who spend their compulsory years of schooling under the radar, emerging at the other end struggling with literacy and numeracy. Schools, meanwhile, remain in a rut of underperformance, producing underperforming students. The more information, the better.

Victoria has had its latest experience of accountability with the release this week of the "On Track" survey showing what the year 12 class of 2003 has done this year. What did it tell us? If we haven't already become deeply concerned about what's happening to our public education system, it is time to do so now.

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The stand-out figure was that independent school students have enrolled at university at almost twice the rate of their public school counterparts. Almost two-thirds of independent school students took up uni places, compared with a third of government school students. In Catholic schools, the figure was about 47 per cent.

There were some stand-out public school exceptions - MacRobertson Girls High School, one of the state's two selective highs, had the highest proportion of students taking up a uni place, at 97 per cent. But it was the overall figures that carried the message.

In some ways, the results shouldn't surprise, given the resource advantages of the independent schools. Many of these schools are also academically selective, as opposed to the take-all-comers public system.

But the results are also disturbing. There would have been two responses from parents who read the story on the front page on Monday's Age. Those who send their children to private schools would have breathed a sigh of relief that they had made the right decision. But for those with children in most government schools, the reactions would have included anger, even despair.

The State Government would not have been happy with this focus on the figures. It prefers to highlight the number of students pursuing TAFE studies, vocational courses and those who have entered the workforce.

These are life directions that should be properly acknowledged. Life paths other than university, such as apprenticeships, have become devalued. In a perfect society, the uni choice would rank equally with the trade choice.

But back to the real world. We are a society that wants the best possible life for our children. We equate this with a university education, opening doors to the "best" jobs - those that don't involve manual work. This isn't necessarily ideal; it's just the way it is.

And based on this week's figures, the best school to give your child the best chance of a university place is a private school.

This is a conclusion that more and more parents are reaching. The drift away from public to private schools is continuing, more marked in the final years of education. The increase in enrolments isn't necessarily in the established private schools, but to many of the lower-fee Christian and other religious schools.

Supporters of the public system argue that the accelerating shift from government schools is a result of increased federal funding of private schools.

But the answer is not to slash funding to private schools, let the rich schools survive on their own, and drag the rest down to the lowest common denominator, all in the interests of equality. Instead, we should concentrate on lifting the quality of public education.

In Victoria, while the mantra that state schools are great schools is often heard, there appears to be a recognition that something radical needs to happen.

The reform blueprint of Education Minister Lynne Kosky seems to acknowledge this. It has the themes of improving underperforming schools, and celebrating and sharing the experiences of successful schools. The curriculum is being reviewed, and a new funding formula is being developed that recognises some students cost more to educate than others.

If Kosky can deliver these reforms, it should make a significant difference to the quality of public education in Victoria. Big things are expected, because big change is needed.

But is there a need for a more radical approach? In part, the answer may be the proposal of Brian Caldwell, the outgoing dean of education at the University of Melbourne, to rebuild our schools.

As Caldwell pointed out in a recent interview, many government schools are in a deplorable state. It's obvious that such poor conditions have an impact on teachers and students.

With limited government funds available, Caldwell advocated the solution adopted by the Blair Government in Britain, where schools have literally been rebuilt, often in partnership with the private sector, with outstanding success. It may just be part of the answer.

This week's figures on the destinations of the Class of 2003 reinforced that public education is at a critical juncture.

Without radical change, state schools will continue to lose the race.

Shane Green is education editor of The Age.

Email: sgreen@theage.com.au