Is the democratisation of education in Australia an impossible ideal?
Insights from Dr Amanda Bell AM
Associate Partner at Fisher Leadership
Headlines at the beginning of every year consistently focus on school fees and the private vs public schools funding debate.
The vitriol in comments against wealthy independent schools and their oft-quoted superior facilities – in fact the arms’ race to be bigger and better than competitors – inflames the debate. But, despite increasing fees, enrolments in all independent schools continue to increase.
The growth in independent schools across Australia has been consistent year upon year, according to the Independent Schools’ Association. As such, it is accepted by education departments and governments that the dual education system is here to stay. The public school system would not manage a mass influx of students from the independent school system.
What we see happening are three things that impact a harmonious co-existence of public and private schools.
Firstly, public schools are the main education providers for remote communities. Secondly, governments selective schools cause a schism in their comprehensive and diverse population. The movement of students from public to private schooling is exacerbated by the provision of scholarships offered by independent schools to attract talented students from the public sector. Finally, training, retaining, and attracting good teachers – especially in remote areas and regardless of incentive schemes – is extremely difficult in a shrinking market. This impacts both sectors, but the public sector most acutely.
Dr Peter Hastie posited in his essay that “…Defunding private schools is not on, but we can make education fairer” (SMH 13 Feb 2023). As an education professional concerned with quality education for all, it seems to me that a plausible way forward, through partnerships. The idea is not new. Neither is the premise that great teachers make great schools. So how do we ensure that the best teachers find their way to spending time in some of the more difficult, remote, and challenging school environments and vice versa?
Arguably, both school sectors have an obligation to support all Australian students.
Instead of being competitive, being cooperative will ensure better outcomes for every student. Some of the best professional development for teachers is observing and working in a variety of schools, locations, and systems. It improves their practice, stimulates new ideas, fosters leadership growth and their pedagogical knowledge. Would it be a starting point to suggest that independent schools sponsor some of their teachers on an annual basis to live and work in a remote government school for a year with the support of the public system?
Many teachers spend their entire career in one system. Surely, it would improve empathy and understanding between teachers and leaders from both sectors to spend time in both systems? Perhaps those who would benefit most would be the students?
Fisher Leadership’s raison d’etre, in collaboration with other arms of the Future Leadership business, is to solve problems for clients – talent attraction, leadership development, interim placements, team building, organisational restructures, mentoring and coaching, and board development. We offer this to both private and public educational institutions, so we are uniquely positioned to work with courageous advocates in the public and private school sectors to begin positive and effective partnerships together. We hope we will be asked to work with some of our clients to achieve workable and strategically enlightened goals like this!
Small steps in positive partnerships will help to ensure we deliver the best education to every Australian child – in Prof Rosemary Johnston’s words in A Literate Nation:
The minds of a literate nation think across borders and encourage senses of identity that refuse to be constrained by a single descriptor. (Johnston, 2009)
Many teachers spend their entire career in one system. Surely, it would improve empathy and understanding between teachers and leaders from both sectors to spend time in both systems? Perhaps those who would benefit most would be the students?