‘It’s not the school that breeds successful students. It’s the parents.’

Living within a global economy where governments are pressured to meet the demands of advanced capitalism means that the physical, economic, and political distance between the more privileged members of society and the disempowered communities grow greater and greater. In the recent weeks, there have been great discussions on the government funding in both private and public education sectors; ‘Gonski Report.’

In Australia, the concern for educational ‘quality’ has driven the removal of some children into private schools as parents view them having more discipline, values-based and better resourced than public schools. However, because it is not always possible for people in a lower socio-economic class to put their children in the best schools provided, the idea of ‘equal education’ is challenged.

The withdrawal of children to the private sector has increasingly left public schools with the ‘residual’ student body; students from poorer backgrounds, sometimes coinciding with disadvantaged migrant backgrounds. In other words, “state schools, outside the selective schools are becoming the repositories of residual education. Like public housing became residual housing, our state schools are becoming places of last resort.”

From Ho’s article, we capture how socioeconomic profiles in Sydney are reflected upon geographical variations. For example, Western Sydney, which has the lowest socioeconomic profile in Sydney, comprises both established migrants and the majority of new arrivals. Consequently, when compared to the wealthy northern suburbs, they tend to be more culturally diverse and have higher percentages of LBOTE students.

Government schools cater for 80 per cent of children from low socio-economic backgrounds, 85 per cent of indigenous children and 79 per cent of children with disabilities such as those who have not spoken a word of English before. Studies also show that when a child starts school, 50 per cent of their future academic achievement is already determined by their family background, socio-economic status and intellectual ability. Therefore, teachers are unable to bridge that gap no matter how hard they work if they don't have support, such as more support staff, smaller class sizes and more professional development time.

Ultimately, although each teen enjoys school and has dreams of what they want to be, the uncomfortable truth is that it’s where they come from, and their parents’ income, that often plays a big role in determining their future. This brings us to a deeper understanding that it’s the equity gap that is the key battleground in the debate over education funding. To close the equity gap, shifting government funding gradually from the private to the public sector should be considered.

References:

·         Ho, C. (2011). Respecting the presence of others: School micropublics and everyday multiculturalism. Journal of Intercultural Studies, 32(6), pg. 603-619

·         http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/the-invisible-backpack-and-why-it-makes-the-education-gap-hard-to-close-20120908-25lcv.html