A bigger say for parents in their child's education

IT'S a big deal for a parent to entrust a child to someone else. Sending our children to school is one of the greatest acts of trust because schools have our children for their most important and formative years. That's why it's so important that our schools be places of great teaching, good values and high standards.

Aside from parents and family members, it's teachers and schools who have the greatest impact on a child's development. I had a number of charismatic and inspirational teachers whose example and teaching have shaped my life. One of them, for instance, told his Year 8 class to spend the Christmas holidays reading "with voracious appetite". I have never forgotten his instruction and have largely heeded his advice.

Good schools aren't just one of the foundations on which so much of a child's future life depends. In some instances, as I have personally seen in remote communities, school can be the most stable and well-ordered part of a child's life.

Good schools contribute to young people's academic, social and spiritual development. They're where most people deepen their understanding of the concepts and the texts that have shaped our culture and civilisation. And they are a significant element in boosting our national economic competitiveness.

Don't get me wrong: schools are so much more than mere contributors to human capital. Still, in a world where countries have to stay ahead of their competitors to maintain their wealth, schools, training colleges and universities have a role in protecting our future prosperity.

That's why cutting funding from pre-schoolers, apprentices, trainees and universities to pay for better schools amounts to robbing Peter to pay Paul.

The Coalition believes in an education system built on choice.

I have every confidence that parents will generally make the best decisions for their children. Similarly, principals and local communities will generally make far better decisions for schools than distant bureaucrats with much less of a personal stake in educational outcomes. That's why the Coalition, if elected, will work with the states and territories to give local communities and parents much more say in the way schools are run.

The key to better schools, at least as much as more money, is better teachers, better teaching, higher academic standards, more parental involvement, and more principal autonomy.

That's what we'll work with the states to deliver.

People expect value for money from government spending. They hate waste, even waste associated with the best of causes. They are disappointed that the much publicised digital education laptop revolution collapsed and that the Prime Minister did not keep her promise for bonus payments for good teachers and payments for schools that improve. Despite the present government's wasteful spending, national test results have shown stagnation in literacy and numeracy.

The Coalition's Real Solutions Plan will put parents and principals, not unaccountable bureaucrats, in charge of determining how local schools will be run. This should lead to a "students come first" culture among staff plus ensure the delivery of better educational outcomes at the local school level.

We will work with the states and territories to encourage government schools to choose to become "independent public schools". This will provide more autonomy in decision making.

More actively involving parents in school life has the potential to transform education. Many studies have shown that parents who are more actively involved in a child's learning are more likely to value education. If we increase school and principal autonomy, parents should feel more engaged with schools as their concerns will count for more and be acted upon more regularly.

We will support teachers by ensuring that our curriculum is rigorous without being too prescriptive or overcrowded. Many teachers are graduating with the knowledge but not necessarily the practical skills they need before they enter the classroom. We recognise that quality professional development for teachers has to be at the top of the education agenda. Better teachers will mean better schools across the country.

We will continue existing levels of funding for schools, indexed to deal with real increases in costs and we will ensure that the targeting of funding is based on the social and economic status of the community.

We will also work with schools, parents and children to tackle the challenge of cyber-bullying. We will tackle cyber-bullying and ensure large social media operators remove harmful online material directed at a child.

The right purpose of NAPLAN data is to know how our children and schools are going academically. It should be used as a diagnostic tool, not as a tool to determine funding. The right purpose of the MySchool website is to enable parents to make an informed choice about their child's education.

Parents can be confident the Coalition has a plan for stronger schools, better teachers, higher academic standards and more community engagement, all of which will strengthen parents' confidence in our schools.

Tony Abbott is Leader of the Opposition. For the latest information and user-friendly comparisons on school performance go to www.theaustralian.com.au/yourschool.