|
|
 |
|
|
| Home | Ask Neale | Calendar | Links |
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Convention - 'a call to action'Date: 08 September 2001
Sue Simpson, President of the NSW Teachers Federation, on behalf of parents, principals,teachers, students and the community moved 'A Call to Action for Public Education' Sue Simpson said earlier "In a federal election year this Convention is "your chance to turn the tide for public education." Successive federal governments, fascinated by the mantra that "private is better", have been turning away from public provision. Our public schools have been receiving a diminishing share of the federal schools budget and our TAFE colleges have had to endure years of funding freezes. The private education lobbyists have had the ears of government. The consequence has been decreased confidence by some in our public schools and TAFE colleges and increased anger by the majority of the population that value public education. This Convention has been organised to ensure a public dialogue between the major political parties at the federal level and the public education community. Out of this public debate we want a better deal for public education." The Convention has the support of:
A call to action for Public EducationAs citizens attending the Public Education Convention, we believe a thriving public education system stands at the heart of a just, healthy, democratic Australian society.Our public schools and TAFE colleges strive to ensure that all young people receive a fair start in life and have access to continuing education throughout life. We expect that federal governments will commit themselves to providing the support and resources needed for the highest quality public schools and TAFE colleges. Such investment in public education is the surest way to guarantee our nation's future and preserve the concept of a 'fair go'. We state that successive federal governments have failed to respect the primacy of the public education system. In the early 1980's the majority of federal government schools funding went to public schools. Twenty years later only a minority of federal government schools funding is going to the public schools that educate the majority of our children. In our TAFE collages, federal funding has not kept up with increased demand for TAFE places and increased numbers of students studying at TAFE. We declare our commitment to work to improve government support for our students. We call on all political parties in this federal election year to commit to 'Public Education First' policies that deliver:
We call on all Members of Parliament across our nation to expand the resource base for public education, so that all citizens are afforded an equal opportunity to realise their potential through quality public education. We pledge our commitment to achieving this for our students, and for public school and college students of the future, thereby ensuring that public education remains the foundation of Australia's democratic society. The convention statement was carried unanimously.
For further information
|
|
Privacy | Disclaimer | Sitemap |Feedback | Links |
|
© 1997-2002 LaborNET is a resource for the labour movement provided by the Labor Council of NSW 10th Floor, 377-383 Sussex Street, Sydney NSW 2000 Ph: (02) 9264 1691 Fax: (02) 9261 3505 http://www.labor.net.au/news/1327.html Last Modified: Tuesday, 15-Nov-2005 18:36:10 EST
LaborNET is proudly created, designed and programmed |
    |
