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Supporting Public Schools
Over the last decade, John Kaye and other Greens members of the NSW
Upper House have worked hard to make public education a national
priority. They have supported teachers’ salary claims, opposed private
school funding rorts and the private school for profit rip-off, worked
for more ESL teachers and resources for children with special needs,
and made equity funding a priority. They campaigned for more funding
for TAFE and fairer treatment of part-time casual teachers.
Public education and its values spent a decade under direct attack from the Howard government. The Iemma/Carr
government has failed to protect them and has itself not provided adequate
funding, while the new Rudd government appears set to continue with a funding system that reinforces the advantages of the rich.
For more information:
- see The Greens NSW Education Policy.
Media:
- For all John's media releases about public schools, click here
Recent Campaign Activity
Adjournment Speech: Teacher Staffing Formulas
The Greens strongly support the reintroduction of discrete staffing formulas in the primary education system. That is, we support separate formulas for the allocation of staffing for the years K to 2 and 3 to 6, known as the infant's / primary divide.
Public Meeting to support Macquarie Boys High
On Wednesday 15th August John spoke at a public meeting organised by teachers, parents and members of the community in support of Macquarie Boys High School.
“Officially the government says it wants the school to remain open. Yet their actions seem to be designed to drive new parents from the school. It is hard to escape the conclusion that their real agenda is to close the school, sell off the land and add to the state’s budget surplus, John said.
Bass Hill land grab opposed
On Saturday 11th August John spoke at a public meeting about the future of Bass High School, in Bass Hill.
Late last year the Department of Education sold Bass Hill High School land that was supposedly surplus to its needs to a company called Garden View Apartments Pty Ltd which turned out to be owned by Al Amanah college. The private school has now lodged an application with Bankstown council for a 1,200 student campus on the site. The sale violates the Government’s policy that public education lands are not sold to private schools.
“If Minister Della Bosca is serious about addressing the outrage of local residents and the education community he will immediately use his power under the Act to bring the land back into public ownership,” Dr Kaye said.
