GILLARD’S WEB
28 JANUARY 2010 – A Day to Remember.
Pupil-oriented schooling is neutered.
This date too must be remembered as an important date in Australia’s education history. 28 January, 2010. The curriculum-destructive My School was published by ACARA. It is an historical occasion that marks the demise of pupil-oriented schooling in Australia. The site opened today as a curiosity item and worked for her-who-must-be-obeyed. There were millions of hits from the curious… so it was judged to be a success.
‘The Week’ magazine [29 January 2010] portrayed the incident well on its front cover. The brilliant John Tiedemann cartoon showed the all-powerful, supreme commander standing in front of a chalk-board looking very stern indeed. She is holding a cane, bent, ready to use. The cowed teachers are before her, with one, a little dunce, quivering in the corner. On the chalk-board in large letters is ‘SCHOOLS ON TRIAL Miss Gillard Sets the Test.” The cartoon is an historical gem.
The already-available school supplied website of each school provides all the information needed by most parents. If I want to check out what any school does, I’m old enough to sense whether it provides for my child’s interests. Some school sites are a bit slack at this time of the year and I confess to checking to see who is telling the parents about the consequences of blanket testing and providing a form for those who wish to withdraw. Surely that is fair to all concerned. I’m disappointed so far. As a parent I demand to know what is going on at my school, state-wide and nation-wide and I want to hear it from my Principal. I’d like to know where my Principal stands on issues…in print, preferably.
Apropos : In 2007, Chris Bonnor and Jane Caro wrote “THE STUPID COUNTRY – How Australia is Dismantlng Public Education.” Its candidness about our move to a two-class education system, as you will know, is enlightening. Chris, a Secondary School Principal was, until recently, President of The NSW Secondary Prinipals Associaion….a practising professional. He comments occasionally on On Line Opinion.
One is tempted to write a book from a Primary School perspectve, called “GETTING STUPIDER AND STUPIDER”. Chapter headings [frivolous, but meaningful] :- 1.Plumbers are running the Garage. 2. ACARA rhymes with CASCARA ? 3. Frau Julia sacks professional principals. 4. How to teach toadies to pussy-foot. 5. Evaluate, assess, judge, test, grade and appraise with ease. 6. What happened to my favourite subject ? A pupil’s perspective. 7. How to stop pupils and parents from sharing evaluation . 8. Short cuts to the 3Rs…Repetition, Repetition, Repetition. 9. How an educratic ‘expert’ can record schooling experience on a postage stamp in large font. 10. Sieg Heil, Frau Gillard.
