Provider Capture
The Australian Wednesday, July 08, 2009
It’s pretty amazing that in a democratic country, NSW can make a law banning the publication of the performance data of schools that operate on taxpayers’ money. Keeping the population in the dark, like mushrooms, is what they do in totalitarian societies.
The propagandists whine about “schools” being shamed. But what about the prospects of thousands of children who are at present hugely disadvantaged in totally unaccountable schools?
The faction that runs both the teacher unions and the state education departments has a cosy nest amongst the school billions. They don’t want anyone rocking their boat with exposure of what’s happening to children’s prospects in many of their schools.
Public knowledge of externally assessed outcomes will produce real changes. New doors of opportunity will be opened. Without public knowledge, all we will get is more of what we’ve had for decades - a new round of froth and bubble “innovations” and jargon every few years to con the parent population that progress is being made.
Philip O'Carroll