Schools using coercive tactics on students - MHS principal

[brendan]

http://www.theage.com.au/news/education-news/school-in-standover-claim/2007/10/28/1193506344956.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

"AN ELITE state school has accused private schools of threatening families whose sons have won a place at the selective government school and want to transfer to it.

The principal of Melbourne High School, Jeremy Ludowyke, says schools use standover tactics to try to prevent their brightest students from accepting a place at his school or even applying for it.

"Often we are approached by anguished parents where some of these practices are used by private schools," he says. "I can appreciate that any school would want to retain these very able students, but to be coercive about it or to stand over a family is ethically compromised.""

This is not surprising to me, as I've always known that schools and teachers care about their own ass first and foremost, and the students come second. You only need to see the opposition by teachers and principals of normal government schools to the building of two new selective government schools to see that they only care about themselves, and that they are scared of more compeition and more choice for parents/students.

[melanie.dee]

haha geez thats a bit extreme, iv never heard of anyone doing that. i never got that 3% rule from each school.. what if incredibly gifted people were missing out just because there happened to be quite a lot of them at one school? or is that not how it works

[Khangfu]

ROFl. My friend made it into MHS and now his siblings are not allowed in his old school

btw i think it was St Paul xD

[brendan]

ROFl. My friend made it into MHS and now his siblings are not allowed in his old school

btw i think it was St Paul xD

are you sure it was because he went to MHS? I believe this sort of behavior would be characterized as anti-competitive by the ACCC.

[bubble sunglasses]

http://www.theage.com.au/news/education-news/school-in-standover-claim/2007/10/28/1193506344956.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

"AN ELITE state school has accused private schools of threatening families whose sons have won a place at the selective government school and want to transfer to it.

The principal of Melbourne High School, Jeremy Ludowyke, says schools use standover tactics to try to prevent their brightest students from accepting a place at his school or even applying for it.

"Often we are approached by anguished parents where some of these practices are used by private schools," he says. "I can appreciate that any school would want to retain these very able students, but to be coercive about it or to stand over a family is ethically compromised.""

This is not surprising to me, as I've always known that schools and teachers care about their own ass first and foremost, and the students come second. You only need to see the opposition by teachers and principals of normal government schools to the building of two new selective government schools to see that they only care about themselves, and that they are scared of more compeition and more choice for parents/students.

    I agree schools are waaaaaaaaaaaay too competitive. They should take pride in the achievements of *their* students per se.

 ps. Brendan, you like the word "coercive".    Do you do Revs?

[brendan]

 ps. Brendan, you like the word "coercive".    Do you do Revs?

The word "coercive" is in the text of the article:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/education-news/school-in-standover-claim/2007/10/28/1193506344956.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
"Melbourne High School alleges coercive tactics have been used against students, writes Caroline Milburn."

[Collin Li]

I agree schools are waaaaaaaaaaaay too competitive. They should take pride in the achievements of *their* students per se.

I wouldn't have a problem at all if schools were "competitive" but this is an example of anti-competitive behaviour. If they were truly competitive they would improve the quality of schooling to attract more and better students, rather than try to stop students from exercising choice.