IT ALL STARTS WITH EDUCATION
The values debate rages fuelled by a conservative and divisive Prime Minister who promotes exclusion rather than diversity and inclusiveness. The Australian Democrats want a just and tolerant society and a fair go for all starting with access to quality education.
Religious chaplain coming to a secular school near you
Mr Howard’s push to preach religion in secular schools reached new heights with a proposed $90 million in funding to be handed to schools that employ chaplains. Religious schools will reap most of this funding while public schools will go begging if they prefer non-religious counsellors. Young people are much more likely to approach counsellors who are not tied to religious values when it comes to highly sensitive issues like sexuality. But true to form, the PM didn’t bother consulting teachers, parents or states, and true to form again, his policy is about buying religious votes rather than caring for the welfare of Aussie kids.
A red under every desk
Minister Bishop jumped on the values bandwagon too, getting plenty of headlines but making not much in the way of sense. She’s the last in a long line of Liberal ministers to attack universities but going a silly step further talking about Maoist influenced curriculum and left-wing ideologues hijacking state education. The Minister is also keen to give Australian history more of a focus in schools but it’s to be seen if that history includes the inconvenient truths of white settlement.
Government are slow learners
The Howard Government is softening us up for a voucher-based education system that like their tutoring voucher system before it is doomed to failure. Funding would be better directed to the TAFE system to provide training for the hundreds of thousands of people that miss out on places, as well as go some way toward addressing the skills shortage so affecting business and the service sector.
Ticking teachers off not the answer
It isn’t just the Howard Government giving teachers a hard time – Labor’s been at it too. Labor’s education spokesperson, Stephen Smith, has been attacking teaching standards and pointing to external assessment of teachers as the way to guarantee quality in our schools. What public education needs is not a report card on teachers but funding that ensures teachers can meet the needs of students.
Building blocks for all, not some
Education begins at pre-school but for too many Australian children pre-school is the stuff of nursery rhymes. The Howard Government has seen to it that early childhood education is only available to children whose parents can afford the cost, further marginalising children already disadvantaged by poverty.
Our work in Parliament
QUESTIONS: Pre-School Education - National Standards And Funding - Senator Lyn Allison, 21 September 2006
PRESS RELEASE: Government Ignoring Needs of Youngest Australians - Senator Lyn Allison, 18 September 2006
PRESS RELEASE: History Summit Goal - Open enquiry for young minds - Senator Lyn Allison, 17 July 2006
SPEECH: Morality Politics - Senator Lyn Allison, Teaching It Like It Is Conference, 14 July 2006
SPEECH: 'Public Education in Victoria: Education for Everyone's Needs' in the context of Australian Democrats policy - Senator Lyn Allison, AEU Conference, 8 July 2006
QUESTIONS: University Places For Rural And Remote Australians - Senator Lyn Allison, 16th June 2006
PRESS RELEASE: Budget fails on education, training and unemployed - Senator Lyn Allison, 10 May 2006
PM right on spelling and raises values debate - Senator Lyn Allison, 21 April 2006
For the latest on what we are doing in Parliament, visit the NEWS area of our website, or use the links below:
Latest Press Releases on Education
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