I live near an elite private school and seeing their endless taxpayer funded building and grounds projects (new aquatic centre! New performing arts centre! New student art gallery!) while my kids' state high school had to fundraise just to get electrical wiring in the library repaired boils my piss - ThreadSky

fionakatauskas.bsky.social • 87 days ago

I live near an elite private school and seeing their endless taxpayer funded building and grounds projects (new aquatic centre! New performing arts centre! New student art gallery!) while my kids' state high school had to fundraise just to get electrical wiring in the library repaired boils my piss

Reposted from Fiona Katauskas

This is INSANE. Somehow we have decided as a nation that it's fine to give taxpayer funds to the very richest schools while sabotaging public education. How is this okay? How is this sustainable in any way? www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

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sundermeijer.bsky.social•87 days ago

A fecking joke. Elitist and class-based.

gr8nanjan.bsky.social•87 days ago

Amazing how the well heeled squeal about how bad Socialism is until, you know, they get their hands into the Pubic purse. So much for an egalitarian system of govenment. What a crock of shite. IMO every student should be funded to the same level irrespective of where that school is. That'd fix it

janwill.bsky.social•87 days ago

I have seen the same thing over and over in the last 60 years. It’s appalling, and Jason Clare is not prepared to do anything.

gweeds.bsky.social•87 days ago

(1) Australia has developed a mindset where 'the private schools are better'. Even when often the data does not reflect that. So we have families who struggle financially to send their children to private schools and if there are any proposals to reduce funding private schools threaten to raise...

gweeds.bsky.social•87 days ago

(2) their fees which means that these families who are under financial stress would not afford to send their kids there anymore. It is electoral poison. Remember Mark Latham's (yes him) 'Hit List'? https://www.theage.com.au/national/labors-private-school-hit-list-20040915-gdymvq.html

fionakatauskas.bsky.social•87 days ago

I don't know that I accept the "electoral poison" argument. It's always taken as an article of truth which stops any discussion. Sure, you couldn't cut private funding in Aus altogether but they should be able to make the argument that overfunding rich schools & underfunding state ones is dumb & bad

lizsays.bsky.social•87 days ago

I think the issue is that most private schools and private school parents don’t see themselves as rich

mscmk.bsky.social•86 days ago

I’m with you 100%. My kids went to a good public school. Community attitude and teachers who worked their tails off and gave good guidance. Then we went to an elite private school for a sporting event and I felt like one of those scullery maids in Downton Abbey- schools 10 blocks apart

mscmk.bsky.social•86 days ago

All public schools should be have the time / space/ support / resources as my kids’ school

cherylkernot.bsky.social•87 days ago

Me, too!

viakuttabul.bsky.social•87 days ago

Me three.
I live one street away from Catholic Daramalan College
New Arts building is almost as big as Dickson Woolies!

itssmeagain.bsky.social•86 days ago

Not sure how much the Trinity College Gawler SA, music theatre/recording studio with drop down orchestra pit cost +cafe. A few dollars I bet.

seanriley66.bsky.social•87 days ago

I live near several of them and it makes my blood boil too. Meanwhile the Federal and State games continue. I long for a Minister who can just get the job done. I’m convinced one of the significant factors in the USA election results is education inequality.

spillanemj.bsky.social•87 days ago

almost bought exclusive peak time access to a nearby public sports field too!

sparrowandvine.bsky.social•87 days ago

that one boiled my piss. Why can't they share their fields with the public?

spillanemj.bsky.social•87 days ago

we all know why..,

fionakatauskas.bsky.social•87 days ago

YES!!!

brendamagpie.bsky.social•87 days ago

While our politicians send their kids to private schools this will keep happening. Our elected representatives are very wary about using public services, they use private health and education so they have no qualms about starving the public sector.

avelaretas.bsky.social•86 days ago

We used to have this thing called the Labor Party that used to properly support public schools. I wonder whatever became of them.

timrust.bsky.social•87 days ago

Australia has a unique definition of "private" doesn't it. It generally means an entity receiving more public money than its public equivalent. Applies to Education, Health, Aged Care..

yesandalso.bsky.social•87 days ago

Spot on. Massive subsidies and tax breaks for miners also.

pollhereford.bsky.social•87 days ago

No less galling, but the capital works projects at the older schools are usually funded without much Commonwealth money - except insofar as the recurrent funding frees up capital - because the schools can borrow against their assets or call on alumni funds.

42inabook.bsky.social•87 days ago

Not so Lucien , well not “absolutely” so …

The “multi year” capital ( special purpose) Grants to the entire Private, Congregational and Systemic Schools systems accelerated to such a point under Howard, rAbbott and ol’ 10 Hands Morrison that they were and are funded at over 100% of Public Schools

pollhereford.bsky.social•87 days ago

But distributed through a competitive block grant system for non-Catholic schools which weights for location and SES. The percentage of those funds for the approx $100 million projects just completed at Cranbrook might cover the signage and external lighting.

42inabook.bsky.social•87 days ago

There are( were) 5 seperate rounds of Special Funding , some targeted to such things as the Religious Instruction (Chaplains) program as well as “infrastructure” programs

The Block Grants to the Catholic Systemic schools ( including some Congregational Schools) is dispersed by “Head Office”

42inabook.bsky.social•87 days ago

The Congregational Schools, Not part of a wider systemic offering/ management control ,and notwithstanding the SRI/Socioeconomic assessment etc for “base funding”,were able to access multi year funding NOT available to the Public Sector

Couple the SRI and Special Grants and my point remains valid

pollhereford.bsky.social•87 days ago

No access because Public schools are funded through the States (not sure of Territories) and all these funding mechanisms are federal. Menzies little work-around which no-one has dared change since. Building the Education Revolution was the last attempt to distribute capital funds differently.

yesandalso.bsky.social•87 days ago

Donations to private school building funds are also tax deductible, however donations to public school building funds are not.

pollhereford.bsky.social•87 days ago

From each according to their capability to deduct tax, to each according to their need to deduct tax. Did I get that right?

yesandalso.bsky.social•87 days ago

Correct, this is the shared mission statement of the Coalition and Labour. Hrumph.

pollhereford.bsky.social•87 days ago

It's just good socialist theory, selectively applied. The Nats can't get enough of it. Keeping it in the caste, of course.

bernielaker.bsky.social•87 days ago

I think the government should provide a set amount of funding to each child, regardless of which school they attend. It should then fully fund all public schools. If you choose to send your child to a private school then you should be prepared to fund it without govt assistance.

maggiewantsavocado.bsky.social•87 days ago

Yup. Biggest BS we tell ourselves is that we are a classless society.

convictchick.bsky.social•87 days ago

I live on a busy road and get to see all the private christian school buses go by twice a day, mostly new 22 seaters with the school insignia on the sides.

elanoradreamer.bsky.social•87 days ago

And remember, after receiving vast amounts of government support, these schools will produce adults who are vehemently opposed to any form of socialism.

yesterdays-spiro.bsky.social•87 days ago

This 👆👆

serenajoyner.bsky.social•87 days ago

Same 😡

jdkite.bsky.social•87 days ago

We’re asked at the beginning of each year to donate basic supplies like tissues and glue sticks to our public primary school. Blows my mind every time

billiehill64.bsky.social•87 days ago

If it’s any consolation, you’re most likely donating a new swimming pool to the local private school as well through your tax dollars… #sigh #TheSystemIsBroken

seanriley66.bsky.social•87 days ago

Meanwhile, the Catholic girls’ school opposite me is about to spend $40m knocking down their existing tennis courts and pool…to build tennis courts and a pool. I bet they don’t take tissues and glue sticks in at the start of each year!

easilypleased.bsky.social•87 days ago

Public primary school teacher friend asked around for volunteers to spend two days cleaning her classroom before kids start. Cleaning contract doesn't include it. A whole term worth of grossness to scrub off desks, chairs, walls, cupboards, equipment, books...

easilypleased.bsky.social•87 days ago

She also buys basics out of her own money: paper, blocks, books, a stash of food for kids that don't get lunch.

jdkite.bsky.social•87 days ago

Shocking that we just accept this as the way it has to be

diveinnow.bsky.social•87 days ago

Galling, the concept of a genuine Labor Government died a long time ago.

becdebeer.bsky.social•87 days ago

The school I work at doesn’t have air conditioning in some classrooms, in Perth. This is so unfair

yesandalso.bsky.social•87 days ago

While public schools have "school sharing" policies, as they are viewed as a public asset and therefore should be made available to the public for approapriate use, private schools have no such requirement to make their taxpayer funded grounds available to the community.

mrcnow.bsky.social•87 days ago

Classless society my arse.

robin47.bsky.social•87 days ago

Me too! The class system is alive and flourishing. The obscenity of it is breathtaking when it is so obvious Private Schools are benefiting handsomely from the Largesse of Government funding, whilst the majority of kids who attend Public schools and Teachers struggle in under resourced facilities!

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