I don't agree that it's good to leave it up to the community populace to decide what is needed in education. Some would ban computers while others don't see the need for years 11 and 12. More than one of my friends think year 12 is a waste of time because boys just need a job (any old job will do) and girls just have babies so why waste the money and effort to keep them at school.
Which part of the plan is there a one size fits all solution?
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Apologies, I realize I didn't go into specifics, I meant some sort of governing board within the community, not just any random person, a governing board who knows and understands the abilities and restrictions within their specific community.
For example, a school with an SEU attached would find it difficult to attain the same benchmarks as one of the selective academic performance based schools - their students would need a differing style of and approach to the curriculum.
Similarly, a school from a low socio economic area may see students at a disadvantage compared to one in a more affluent area, or a school in FNQ which has dirt floors in it's only classroom and only has a teacher who speaks English available to them 3 days a week may have difficulty meeting the same benchmarks in most subjects, when compared to a school in the city.
The students of this school can speak up to four languages, and are highly skilled in those skills which are valued by and required by their community, yet because they are not fluent in English or have been found to be deficient in their IT skills, they have been determined to be academically compromised.
It is those closest to the students who know the limitations of the students and the available resources that need to be addressing what equates to an equal and just education for every child.
Of course, they then need to be accountable "up the ladder" with the aim of delivering and achieving an equal outcome for all children, but how can a child be expected to learn science, English or IT when they don't even have the resources?
It's all well and good for our politicians to sit in their leather chairs in their air conditioned offices setting unrealistic goals and objectives, but it is the child which misses out on an equal and just education.
Tom Calma says it much better than i ever could, so perhaps google a few of the things that he has to say about it.
It's not about having a different curriculum, it's about having one which is accessible.
Some people can go their whole lives and never really live for a single minute.
