Why do Australians have such a high number in private schools

We tend to widely accept privatisation of our schools. In Australia, the overall proportion of students in private schools is 35% ( but 41% in secondary school). This far outweighs the average OECD country, where 18% is the average number.

Compare this to the US, where approximately 8% of students attend private schools. 

In Canada, this percentage is even lower (approximately 6%), and lower again in countries such as New Zealand, Finland or Sweden.

We also have one of the highest percentages of private expenditure within the school sector. What this means is that we rely far more on a “user-pays” system than the average OECD country.


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My experience is that i sent my two kids to the local high school where they both were able to join the academic talent programme which is designed to enhance the progress of pupils with better than average ability in certain subjects. They both did well and went on to university. My daughter gained a degree with a double major and my son gained a degree in Urban Planning. He is working interstate with a well paid salary in state govt.My daughter chose to leave local govt to raise a family. I have nothing but praise for the education provided by their high school.

In contrast a friend sent his daughter to one of the most highly regarded private girls school and paid thousands for the privilege where she also did well and went on to university. However she dropped out and went interstate where she is living with a hippy boyfriend and is working in a cafe as a waitress. I am not implying that there is a moral in this  story as it is just a slice of life.

So private or public it is what you make of it that counts.

Yes I agree and I also believe what is taught in the home is what takes you through life.

We are relying on teachers more and more to be substitute parents, teachers are there to teach facts.  Parents should teach morality and values, reinforced by the teachers.

all fascinating sub topics but no one has addressed the topic..

Actually Brocky, there have been a few responses here that have addressed the topic, even if you don't like the answer, it is still an answer.

In a word, elitism.

What 40% plus of Australians are elitists...

Of that 40% of the population some would like to think they are part of the elite.  They can  not actually compete at that level so they do what a lot of people do and try to live their lives through their children.  There are many who believe that they are doing the right thing by their children, but still quite a few that are not doing it for the sake of the child.

But I suspect as I have said before, people who use the Private Education system see it as an opportunity to make contacts in the "Right circles " and to open doors that would not be normally accessable to those who do not know the right people. I have seen how the old school tie works in industry, and it is a blight on a system that should reward effort and skill, not those who rely on contacts and family ties.  Just another failure of a society that believes in self entitlement and indulgence.

I feel the need to confess that my brother, who is not well off, invested his hard earned money into giving his children a Private Education.  His son is at the low end of the Learning Disability Scale and my brother thought that a little extra help would make a difference.  The school helped him by excluding him from any exams that would show up on the National School Database and finding him non-academic pursuits to take up his time.

His parents took him out of that system when the Principle recommended he go and find a nice little job stacking shelves at the local Super Market.   So yes I am slightly biased against some Private Schools.

Perhaps you would reread my opening post . 

And do you have any thoughts on why we are so different from USA UK or NZ or Canada ...

There is a significant difference in "private schools". Some prestigious ones costing an enormous amount of money whereas others, such as the local catholic high schools are far more reasonable.  

Reasons would vary I imagine, for myself I like the fact that if you are paying for your child's education you can be fairly confident that other students will be "reasonably" behaved otherwise they can be expelled.  My position was that I did not want my children's education - social development, hampered by some low life kid who insults teachers and disrupts class.  This is unacceptable.  

The question remains why in Australia do 40 per cent hold state schools in such low regard compared to other comparable countries .

Quote Cindylou:My position was that I did not want my children's education - social development, hampered by some low life kid who insults teachers and disrupts class.

Yep, I agree.

Reason for high proportion of private school students and why it appears state schools are held in low regard...  I'm going to be a bit radical here - but I think in Australia there is an absence of respect to people in authority (teachers, nurses, police etc).  

This disrespect starts in the home...some parents don't back the teachers up, rather some parents think their little darlings are faultless.  Teachers in state high schools have been abused, assaulted by students - in my opinion this is unacceptable.  What does that tell the kids about life ?  

Abusing nurses and ambulance workers - who does this - these professionals work to help people but in recent years appear to be the brunt of violence and abuse on some occasions.  Unacceptable.

Accompanying poor respect to those folk mentioned above, the pathetic legal system does not give realistic sentences for lawbreakers. There are no consequences.  

Bringing the discussion back to this topic - I'm afraid to say that I feel the same low life disruptive abusive kids in some state high school are highly likely to be the types of persons who would abuse nurses, ambulance officers and police.  Some folk both, young and old have no self control, no fear of legal or otherwise sequences.

I think I read somewhere that approximately 90% of police time/attention is focused on 10% of population.

 

Cindy - re police time - not a bad thing if 90% of the population are law abiding citizens which hopefully is the case 

Certainly don’t want them focusing on me - who knows what they will charge me with 

I'm unsure where I heard/read the stats - but I can only say personally I nor my family/circle of friends have no interaction with police other than the occasional breath test whilst driving.  

I am very boring !  

 

The Pareto Principle states that 80% of effects come from 20% of causes, if you concentrate on that 20% you can have a greater influence on the 80% effect or outcomes.  The big task is in determining the causes to concentrate on.

It is one of the reasons that I find it irritating when leaders obsess about minor details that have little effect on major outcomes.  The maxim the devil is in the detail is generally true, but you still have to identify the relevant details that will make a difference to the outcome.

This principle is useful in dealing with providing services to large bodies of people especially when determining what serves are required and where and how those services are allocated.

I prefer the Peter Principle “ Everyone is promoted to their level of incompetence “

Staying on topic of why uniquely in Austrlia compared to comparable countries do Australian parents bear the additional costs for non State Schools when already have paid taxes for a place in the State system. 

Having put three children , when I was very young , through the State system and now when I am very much older , two through the nonstate system I have experienced as a parent both . 

My conclusion is that in the State system in Australia that the school itself has very little influence on its culture , staff selection or promotion on merit develops no control over its budget  no pride in its school and therefore the result is no development of respect. 

Unlike the States or NZ where a local board is responsible rather than a remote beurcracy . 

The UK suffered the same problem as Austrlia But is developing fast local academies with local boards and a culture of pride that we only see in Austrlia in non State Schools. 

When parents are given a choice , rather than the monopoly of only sending to the school who’s catchment you are in , will choose what they see as quality . 

The academy schools in the UK who are in compition with State Monopoly are overwhelmed by applicants . 

 

 

Again I'm being a bit radical about this school issue, but I think that it comes back to social class.  I don't think that it's great but I believe it's a fact...poorer areas with low socioeconomic issues are I suppose locked in by the very nature of the folk who reside there and the social norms.  This impacts the children growing up in these areas.  

Look I know it's not nice to tar certain areas and schools as low socioeconomic but I think that it's a reality.  You could blindfold me and take me for a random drive etc and take the blindfold off inside a large shopping centre in a large city like Sydney for example - I could identify what type of area it was by the way the shoppers and staff dressed and spoke, affluent beach areas, busy inner city areas and outer suburbs.  There are cultures and social norms - cant see this changing.  

So, coming back to the state school issue - I am in no way an expert on schools, but I imagine there are significant differences in state schools depending on location, ie. St. Ives  vs.  Mt Druitt ?   

 

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