Stoner’s attack on public schools is wrong and hypocritical

Dr Kaye said: “Mr Stoner got the numbers wrong. Public education is actually increasing its share of students.

“In Mr Stoner’s enthusiastic rush to sound off about the failures of public education, he missed the real story. Far from ‘parents voting with their feet’, a greater proportion of students are choosing public education.

“If Mr Stoner was concerned about the number of parents sending their children to private schools, he would get on the phone to his Coalition colleague Federal Education Minister Julie Bishop and talk to her about the massive increases in the Howard government’s  funding to private schools.

“Enrolment numbers in public schools would be even greater if it were not for the huge increases in federal money pouring into private schools.

“Mr Stoner’s attempt to talk down public schools does nothing but highlight the Howard government’s increasing bias towards the private sector.

“Federal funding of private schools has increased by more than 94% in real terms since the Howard government came to power.

“Mr Stoner has opened the floodgates for a debate about where the priorities of federal funding should be. 

“I doubt that Julie Bishop or John Howard will thank him for this.

“The figures actually reveal a public education success story. Despite massive increases in funding to private schools, the public system is able to maintain its share of students. In some parts of NSW, public education is actually booming.

“Mr Stoner should be congratulating the teachers, parents and students of public education for maintaining their numbers in the face of such hostility from the his federal Coalition colleagues,” Dr Kaye said.