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Education Policy
I support increased funding for public education. I believe all education is an investment in the future and only by providing everyone with access to a good education can we ensure that Australia is in the best position to face future challenges.
All public education whether primary, secondary or tertiary should be free and the education system should be structured to provide multiple pathways so individuals can choose the pathway which best suits their needs and abilities.
I am opposed to the idea of having schools benchmarked against each other with a report cards system and allowing performance pay for teachers. Unless a Labor Government plans to pour extra funds into the "underperforming" schools this will create an underclass of schools which never have the funds to attract the teachers with the skills to address the "underperformance". This is a big stick approach to education dressed up in carrot clothing. This approach has not produced good results in the USA or the UK when it has been used.
The best approach to education ensures that every child has an equal opportunity to achieve their potential. This means providing good training for teachers and adequate resources in schools. Many public schools are struggling to provide adequate resources for class activities because of cut backs in funding and the global budgeting approach used in SA.