25 October 2010

ACT schools the most reliant on fundraising?

| johnboy
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The ABC has education union research showing the ACT’s public schools are the most reliant in the country for fundraising to conduct their basic operations.

So are we happy for parents to keep making up the difference (entrenching postcode disadvantate)? Shall we hope the Federales throw some money at it? Or should the ACT Government live up to its responsibilities?

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grunge_hippy said :

If parents want the best equipment in their child’s school then they should get up off their backsides and do something about it…

… they could start by paying any ‘Voluntary Contributions’ requested (or write to the Principal to request their VC’s be paid from the Principal’s discretionary funds if they feel they can’t afford it). DET still funds schools as if they expect a high percentage of these to come in, even though they were below 20% in most schools (last time teachers/staff were allowed to know). Either that, or P&Cs should pressure the ACT Govt. to fully fund the shortfall created since they insisted on the term ‘Voluntary Contributions’ and Subject Outlines going home with the message “you do not have to pay”. Afterall, we all pay our taxes expecting that they go towards that “free education” ideal. BTW – VCs (at least in elective classes) are used to pay for consumable materials, so any shortfall in VCs means materials for work need to come out of the program budget, which in turn means less is available to renew or acquire equipment and provide student resources.

Eby said :

…The window was broken too, and wouldn’t close, so they were all freezing (middle of winter)…

…a familiar scenario in every Govt. school I’ve worked in. Every school I’ve worked in had leaky roofs – in one southside school, water literally flowed down the internal walls every time it rained. Fair Dinkum, it’s time someone took some responsibility and conducted a real audit of school infrastructure.

warall said :

…there does not seem to be a crisis of any kind here.

Yikes! Could you have a good, long wander around your local Public School sometime soon?
School buildings are terribly run down and in poor repair, because schools have to direct School-Based Management funds to running education programs and ensuring there is a teacher in front of each class. I think the ACT Government should take more responsibility for repairing and maintaining their infrastructure and take that pressure off the schools, so they can concentrate on core business.

grunge_hippy7:10 pm 25 Oct 10

there are many P&C’s that may be forced to shut down because there are not enough parents willing to be part of it.

Affirmative Action Man said :

Sounds like a typical setup by the Union to put pressure for more $$$.

Anyhow its good for parents & teachers to get off their rear ends & raise some money.

its not up to the teachers to run the p&c or do fundraising. They do enough already. If parents want the best equipment in their child’s school then they should get up off their backsides and do something about it… the govt isnt going to do it obviously.

Affirmative Action Man3:58 pm 25 Oct 10

Sounds like a typical setup by the Union to put pressure for more $$$.

Anyhow its good for parents & teachers to get off their rear ends & raise some money.

As an interested parent who is gearing up for a fete soon, I had a look at the report and the numbers quoted there show the nationally the majority of school rank fundraising as “very important”. The ACT does not appear to standout in any of the figures in the report. Fundraising provides discretionary funds that I suspect are very important for getting things done – but there does not seem to be a crisis of any kind here.

Or is this just unions exerting pressure on the government the way unions will do?

This is really disturbing! Absolutely the Government needs to put more resourcing in, whether it comes from ACT or federally I don’t think matters all that much.

I’ve been around to a few of the private and public high schools in Canberra, and I’m always so appalled at the difference in infrastructure quality. In one classroom at a Belconnen public school, most of the tables were broken and there weren’t enough chairs, so the students sat on the windowsills or the floor. The window was broken too, and wouldn’t close, so they were all freezing (middle of winter).

Not exactly conducive to a positive learning environment. I’m not sure how much funding government puts towards private schools, but I think it all needs to go towards the public system.

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