13 July 2006

Who decided we needed to tear up the education system?

| johnboy
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The Liberal’s Vicki Dunne put out an interesting media release yesterday.

She’s used FOI to get hold of the first briefing from the Department of Education to their new Minister Andrew Barr. Apparently there was no mention in that briefing of the need to radically restructure the education system.

Just five weeks later the slash and burn began. So it begs the question, if the Department wasn’t driving this restructure, who was? And how can they be expected to plan out a new education system effectively in just five weeks?

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Master_Bates4:03 pm 13 Jul 06

Ahhh – I have it – Now, I have the single unifying theory that relates School Closures, Rock Eisteddfods, Vanishing bins, and Declining Morals –

I saw it in “A Current Affair” recently, and it only just gelled…

In NSW, you are not allowed to photograph kids in a rock eisteddfod, on the basis that society is now too filled up with paedophiles that the risk is too great. That, coupled with the desire of ACT teachers to allow RE performances to occur is why the government decided to close half of the schools. Watch out, the troublesome teachers will be moved to the schools that are closing, the RE’s will fade out, and never again will ministers be bothered by angry parents complaining about not being able to take a photo of little Johnny.

Kind of like what the government did recently when somebody complained about a bin at a park was overflowing as it wasn’t being emptied often enough – Simply remove the bin.

Bloody brilliant if you ask me!!!

I think what probably caused the school closures was the utter outrage and disgust at the topics thrust upon the poor children to perform at the Rock Eisteddfod.

Master_Bates3:44 pm 13 Jul 06

You don’t believe for a second that there would be planning associated with a government decision?

Nooo – I rekon that the minister had a bowl of soggy wheatbix one morning because somebody from the education department was on the phone to him, so he decided to shitcan the lot.

Yeah I’m pretty sure it was the costello functional review that said “shut down heaps of schools”, though knowing Andrew’s politics I doubt he had a problem with that.

I don’t think ACT ministers are the only lucky ones thetruth. Just ask the journos for the Australian who are still fighting Costello for an FOI for a budget from last decade.

Written briefing material to ACT ministers is sanatised because they know that can be obtained under FOI. Anything sensitive is relayed verbally.

It was in the Functional Review document that the Government will not release because it is a Cabinet document.

Staff cuts at the Dept itself were known last year. Many staff there that I worked with mused over possible school closures as well. So while it wasn’t publically being talked about, it was being talked about by staff concerned about closures. Why? Because those who were “moved” would have to go back into a classroom and there might not be a classroom to go back to.

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