Cause for optimism
While Mr Mulheron sees the policy settings to allow privatisation are here, he has cause for optimism for the future of public education.
“We have significant support across the community,” he said.
“Our Federal political system has dispersed power over education making it more difficult than has occurred in the UK.
“We have a united teacher union movement.
“Unlike our counterparts in the USA and the England, we have neutralised and quarantined the worst excesses of the testing agenda.
“There is strong community support for retaining public ownership of TAFE.
“We have slowed the pace and reduced the impact of devolution in NSW by protecting staffing levels and class sizes in the last Staffing Agreement — an extraordinary achievement.
“Gonski is the most significant setback for the Right in many years.
“But one great advantage is that we are aware of what the corporate agenda is, what instructions they have delivered to their political mouthpieces.
“We will not be ambushed so easily.
“Teachers working together are a formidable force,” he said.
Four waves of attack:
- First wave: weaken citizens’ trust in public education.
- Second wave: lay the blame for the crisis with the profession.
- Third wave: convince the community there is need for structural changes (that almost inevitably lead to the withdrawal of systemic support for schools, and governments retreating from any obligation to build, maintain, fund and staff schools).
- Fourth wave: edu-businesses push for full privatisation.
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