Gaps in Ladder
Friday, October 01, 2004
Latham says he will take from the 'rich' schools and give to the 'poor' schools. But schools do not make profits. He talks about schools instead of talking about the incomes of the families who use them. He gives 100% funding to anyone, including millionaires, if they use his party's (state) schools. He will give maybe 20% funding to anyone, including a poor battler who sacrifices much, who puts his child in a top 'independent' school.
Envy-driven people applaud this act, but they are dancing on the socio-economic graves of their own children. If any of them move up Latham's ladder of opportunity and decide to invest more in their child's education, they will find the door locked when they reach the hit-list schools - which will still be the best schools. We will have a stricter class system than we have now. There'll be a distinct gap - an exclusive set with seriously richer parents.
The levels of funding have to be graded continuously according to family means, so there is always social mobility. I thought this principle of reachable rungs on the ladder is what Latham advocated when he first assumed the leadership of his party.
Philip O'Carroll