More Sneaky Education Cuts

From Adelaide Now

Parents will have to pay thousands of dollars extra a year for private music lessons, under Education Department changes.

No individual instrumental music lessons will be offered at state high schools once the overhaul is complete, effectively privatising the system, Australian Education Union state branch president Andrew Gohl says. "My concern is parents are going to be forced under this model to pay for private provision," he said.

The Education Department announced in June that its music and aquatics programs - both subject to a review - would continue, but instrumental music would have a new focus on primary school students.

Teachers will be shifted out of high schools over the next five years.

Music teachers say successful completion of Year 11 and 12 music subjects is not possible without individual tuition.

About 9000 students are using the Education Department's instrumental music service this year, with the changes expected to eventually expand that number to 28,000, all at Year 5 level. "A number of kids won't be able to afford private tuition and won't be able to do secondary music any more," said one high school arts co-ordinator.

Mr Gohl said the new model was borrowed from the United Kingdom, where "significant additional funding" was put into music. "That's not happening in SA - it's on a budget-neutral basis," he said.

Parent Gay Lee said she would not be able to afford tuition for her four children - John, 16, Simon, 12, Bethany, 10, and Sarah, 7.

"It's usually about $25 per half-hour lesson and at 10 weeks per term, you are looking at $1000 a year per child," Mrs Lee said. An Education Department spokeswoman said students already learning an instrument at high school could continue. Specialist music schools at Woodville, Brighton, Marryatville and Fremont-Elizabeth will still accept students by audition. Up to 70 scholarships will be available for country students to continue lessons at high school.

Note from Bob Such

Dear Colin

Thank you for your email re cuts to State schools in South Australia.

I have consistently opposed cuts to State schools - indeed I have argued for an increase in funding. I am a passionate supporter of our State schools and accordingly will continue to fight reductions in their funding.

For the last 15 years or so our State schools have been treated as second class educational establishments with a lack of funding for capital works and other educational resources. The private school section has received very generous capital grants whilst the State school sector misses out. The argument of "choice" is exaggerated - you only have a choice if you have the money to access private schools, especially the more expensive ones.

Rest assured, I will keep fighting for State schools.

Kind regards

Bob Such MP
Member for Fisher

Labor Betrays Public Schools - Sandra Kanck

Original Message-----

SANDRA KANCK

SA Democrats

Member of the Legislative Council of South Australia



Thursday 14 June 2007


LABOR BETRAYS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

The latest cuts to schools show that Labor is not serious about quality public education according to Democrat MP Sandra Kanck.

“Last year the Rann Government showed its mean streak by cutting funds to small schools and trying to cut aquatics and music education.

‘This year Rann’s agenda is to shift the responsibility for funding Workcover onto schools.

‘The net effect is a 1% cut in salary allocations with big schools losing up to $200,000.

‘Schools will have to cut curricula and support staff.

‘Pre-schools will have to choose between employing a teacher or an early child care worker.

‘There will be cuts in libraries and computers.

‘This Government is running down public education while it pumps funds into Carnegie Mellon and other private institutions and spruiks feel-good gimmicks like the Premiers’ Reading Challenge.

‘Education is our greatest investment in the future – the skills imparted by our teachers will be creating wealth long after most of the mines have closed.

‘I endorse the education rally at Parliament House today. I know that teachers do not take this sort of action lightly,” said Ms Kanck

Open Letter to Dr Jane Lomax Smith

On behalf of the Kilkenny Primary School Governing Council, on behalf of other public schools, I am writing to invite Education and Children’s Services Minister Dr Jane Lomax Smith to our next governing council to explain to our school community how to comply with the draconian financial impost she is forcing on public schools in South Australia.

The governing council is fully aware of, and remains supportive of, the need for financial stringency, but it is clearly apparent, despite Dr Lomax Smith’s statement to the contrary, that public schools have been significantly disadvantaged financially since the introductions of Partnerships 21.

Public schools will need to cut budgets by tens of thousands of dollars. These are some of our options:

• Cut the amount of SSO/student contact time or cut Guided Reading Programs;
• Cut the furniture replacement programme or library resource purchases;
• Cut the ongoing upgrade of computers;
• Cut subsidising excursions and external performances to all students;
• Cut music programmes or the supply of resources to education programs;
• Cut access to the Life Education van;
• Increase school fees to replace the lost income.

Where does this policy fit in with South Australia becoming the Education State? All of the above are of vital importance in providing the support, equipment and programs that are essential in assisting our students to prepare for and become sound members of our community. I’m sure Dr Lomax Smith would be welcome at many other governing council meetings.

Colin Campbell
Secretary
Kilkenny Primary School Governing Council

This was published in the Weekly Times Messenger on June 27 2007. We plan to personally invite some of the politicians to come and explain to our Governing Council why this is good public policy and to make suggestions on what programs to cut.