State selective schools

[brendan]

This is what Ian McKenzie looks like:

[jess3254]

Woo Brendan's letter got published in the Education Age.

[costargh]

Congratulations Brendan. Saw your letter published in The Age- Education today. (Y) Started reading the article and realised it sounded familiar and saw your name at the bottom. Excellent article.

[droodles]

brendan is going to get places, really BIG places

[Collin Li]

OMG, I just went to grab The Age to read it. It has this part of this post made as the subheading in big font:

It is no coincidence that those who complain schools will "lose" students to select schools are almost always the principals of competing schools.

Legendary

Congrats, Brendan.

[Toothpaste]

Are you in Canberra Brendan?

Well done.

[Collin Li]

Are you in Canberra Brendan?

He was on the weekend.

[droodles]

i vote brendan pm

[Matt The Rat]

You're underage. Vote counts for nothing.

[costargh]

Are you in Canberra Brendan?

Well done.

That's incredible. I know our future is in good hands. How are people chosen for such an event?

[Collin Li]

Are you in Canberra Brendan?

Well done.

That's incredible. I know our future is in good hands. How are people chosen for such an event?

100 were chosen. According to some sources, 97 were socialists. A lot of the proposals were pure junk too.

[Toothpaste]

Are you in Canberra Brendan?

Well done.

That's incredible. I know our future is in good hands. How are people chosen for such an event?

See selection process:
http://www.australia2020.gov.au/youth/faqs.cfm

[Mao]

GO BRENDAN~

i now need to find the Age today and read it...
is it on the website?

[Collin Li]

This was the response that was posted:

Ian McKenzie's and Professor Stephen Lamb’s comments ("Cream can leave a sour taste", The Age, 7/4) are misguided and offensive. Schools and buildings are not an end in themselves. Schools exist to serve students, not the other way around; and we ought to be concerned with the welfare of students, not schools.

What strikes me most is how Ian McKenzie is attacking selective schools, not because of any concern for differing educational needs of the students most likely to be admitted and benefit from selective schooling, but more of a concern for his own sake.

It is no coincidence that those who complain that schools will 'lose' students to select schools are almost always the principals of competing schools -- people with a vested interest in seeing selective schools fail who want to limit student choice to protect their own job security at the expense of the education of the children.

Furthermore many of the arguments made in opposition to selective schools, imply that those who are more academically able, are obliged to, and should be conscripted into carrying the burden of lifting the academic performance of their less able peers, and thus should be held back even if it means sacrificing opportunities to fulfill their own potential. I find this a highly offensive expectation, especially when many of these students report that they have been marginalised and bullied in their previous schools because of their ability.

Nor is it self-evident that schools losing their top students to selective schools is necessarily a bad thing for society. If schools were to cater better to the needs and abilities of the more academically able, then these students wouldn’t want to leave in the first place. Much of the opposition to selective schools coming from incumbent school principals is simply fear of competition; fear that they will actually have to lift their game in order to attract top pupils; and fear that when given a decent choice, students will not choose them.

[bubble sunglasses]

OMG, I just went to grab The Age to read it. It has this part of this post made as the subheading in big font:

It is no coincidence that those who complain schools will "lose" students to select schools are almost always the principals of competing schools.

Legendary

Congrats, Brendan.

  Wow! That'll spoke their weels! Nice work