2018-01-16
Public schooling in Australia must be the gold standard so parents do not feel they have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for their children to get a good education, as shown in today’s ASG Planning for Education Index research.
“Parents shouldn’t have to mortgage their homes or take a second job to be able to afford to ensure their child gets a good education. Taking on this huge financial burden shows many Australian parents do not have faith that the public school system can deliver a quality education to their children,” Greens education spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“Parents have every right to send their child to private schools, but too many are pressured to do so because of the belief their kids will receive a better education. Public schools need to be the gold standard; well-funded and high quality so every child gets a chance without their parents having to go into debt or choose which one gets educated in the private system.
“Australians pay taxes with the understanding they are helping to fund a quality education system, accessible to all children no matter what their postcode or parents’ bank balance is.
“The Greens want to see Australians choosing public schools first, and to do so, they need to be assured that their child won’t go without when it comes to their education and development. The public schools system can, and should, be able to deliver high-quality education if it is resourced properly.
“There needs to be a greater emphasis on raising the bar for the public system in schools reform, and it is vital we look at how we can support our teachers in being the best they can be, to give our kids what they need to succeed.”