Educational Issues and Information

“Education is a basic human right, vested in the child.

Every child has the right to free, compulsory primary education and governments must make progressive steps to ensure access to secondary and tertiary education as well as the provision of fundamental education for those who did not complete primary education.

(UN Convention  Rights of the Child  and  UN Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural rights)

Since Public Education’s inception in Australia in 1880 and before that when education and schooling was left to religious organisation, work houses, missions and philanthropic societies,  individuals,  communities and bureaucrats  have discussed, debated and argued about education provision, educational research and educational policies.

Today is no different than any other time in our past.

Historically Education for the young (those under 18 years of age) in Australia has been predominantly undertaken by state and territory governments.

Tertiary Education was supported by the Federal Government.

It was not until the 1970’s that the federal government became involved in the funding for primary and secondary education.   This continued involvement of the Federal government has been at the centre of ongoing decades long debate and discussion.

Some argue that the expansion of the “private” education system has been at the expense of the educational guarantee offered by public schools Prof. Alan Reid puts this case forward Proud to be Public