A more balanced view of Gonski and its importance to the Australian education system was recently published in Dissent Magazine, Issue 41. Written by Trevor Cobbold, an extract of the article is republished below with the consent of Dissent Magazine.
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The evidence shows that the quality of the human resources in disadvantaged schools is fundamental to success. Principals, executive teachers and classroom teachers all need to have specialised knowledge and training to handle the challenges of disadvantaged schools. They need to be well supported with outside expertise and services. It is imperative that high-quality staff be retained for continuity of programs and good teacher-student relationships. This may require additional financial and career incentives.
Early identification of students who are struggling and early intervention are essential. Disadvantaged schools should have a range of support measures, such as special learning and assistance, off-line programs, and mentoring and counselling. Small class sizes just for these schools can also be beneficial, but success here seems to be dependent on taking advantage of smaller classes to change teaching practices.
With strong teaching and emotional support for students. Also important are strategies to enhance teacher-student relationships, as they lead to better learning and teaching environments and, therefore, both more teacher satisfaction and better student outcomes.
Developing strong family-school links to reduce absenteeism and disengagement and to enhance achievement is also a key. There is little more than rhetorical support for such programs in Australia. They too require specialised knowledge, training and support and need to involve the local community. They may include home-school liaison, mentoring of students by community members, and parenting and family literacy programs.
Another important point to consider in a program of additional funding for disadvantaged students and schools is that it is necessary to improve achievement; education policies and programs alone are not enough. Disadvantage is continually being reproduced in society by economic and social circumstances. Other policies are needed to mitigate the effects of a student background on education. Hundreds of studies show that investment in early childhood programs has big payoffs. Australia faces a huge challenge to improve the education outcomes of low SES and indigenous students. Without Gonski, it is not going to happen and Australia will continue to bear the high social and economic costs of education disadvantage. The Gonski funding increase promises to be a worthwhile investment if it is targeted at those most in need and at effective programs. Gonski is important for our future economic competitiveness and prosperity, but realising its potential depends on using it effectively and it being complemented by other social and economic policies.
Someone should buy Christopher Pyne a subscription, he obviously hasn't seen or read the research, given the Coalition's policy position. But we suspect it may be wasted on him, his ideas are already made up, locked in, and will not be swayed by evidence, or through consultation with the sector (as if he even considered going that far!)