School reform takes step back

The Lord High Executioner Ko-Ko “had a little list”, and so does the West Australian Education Department. On it are the names of “redeployee” teachers awaiting jobs. While purporting to support the previous Barnett government’s independent public schools system, the WA Labor government has begun chipping away at their supposed autonomy by curbing the power of independent public school principals to hire the best teachers. Education Minister Sue Ellery has told Western Australia’s 524 independent public schools they must “consider” hiring “redeployees” when teaching vacancies arise.

State School Teachers Union of WA president Pat Byrne welcomed the move but said it did not go far enough. “It’s completely unreasonable to say this group of schools can cop people who are perceived to be dud teachers and this group can’t, that is simply unfair,” she said. It is — to any student taught by a “dud”. Unfortunately for the children whose learning would be enhanced by being taught by teachers drawn from the widest possible pool, the WA Primary Principals Association agrees. Its president Ian Anderson predicted the change was the “beginning of the end” of independent public schools, which he welcomed. Critics of the schools complain they have a sense of entitlement to the best teachers that is not fair in a government system. Fair to whom? Students, their families, taxpayers or unemployed teachers on a list?

Long-suffering parents understand the value of excellent teachers. They are entitled to ask why a politburo mentality should compromise the autonomy of their child’s school to select the best staff. According to the OECD’s Program for International Student Assessment, schools with greater autonomy tend to do better. However dependent on unions, Labor governments have a public duty not to be bullied into abandoning vital reform.