Comments on: Self-fulfilling prophecy

By: Gary

Gary — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000

From someone “who actually have contact with Australian[public] schools” to someone “who rely on second-hand information about our schools” thanks Robert. I will sleep better that every thing is just grate.

By: Yobbo

Yobbo — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000

Oh, yeah…my child is getting a terrible education. What can ya do, eh?

By: Norman

Norman — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000

Leaving aside the question of their methodology, which might be [only might be, NOT is] relevant, I’d suggest that:
1] Parents have a need to tell themselves they’re doing the right thing by their children, which affects how they respond.
2] Teachers who are parents [and better able to know what's happening in State Schools] have been showing an increasing desire to remove their own children, unless, of course, they are able to have them placed in a particular State school/class they deem acceptable.
3] A proportion of the “satisfied” parents would feel quite different if their own child was in one of the many “normal” schools or classes they’ve been fortunate enough to be able to avoid.

By: mark

mark — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000

So private schools are better than public schools. Does this mean public schools are particularly bad? Or that private schools are particularly good?

If you can afford above-average education for your kids (either through being rich, or being Catholic (heh)), then why not take it? Ideology? “I’m a good lefty teacher, therefore I refuse to succumb to the capitalist bastards at the private schools. Unless public schools really, really, suck.” Please.

By: S Whiplash

S Whiplash — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000

In my experience, which is limited to public schools, many, if not most, parents of children attending public schools, take little interest in thier children’s education. Such results do not surprise me.

By: Robert

Robert — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000

Nice one, Whiplash. Those ignorant public school parents don’t care about their children, and that’s the only possible reason they could be happy with the schools.

By: S Whiplash

S Whiplash — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000

Don’t go all hysterical there, RC. In my experience, in the public schools at which I have taught, parents do not take much interest in their children’s education because they do not place much value on education. Parent nights have really low turnouts as a rule and very few parents respond to requests for parent interview. (I should qualify this by making it clear that due to my durability, unflappability and can-do attitude I tend to receive a large number of lower ability and problem behaviour classes. So, my experience may be atypical but I don’t think so.)

By: Graham

Graham — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000

On the other side, do you find that the more conscientious students in public schools tend to be backed by parents who do show an interest?

(I guess in private schools, parents are effectively paying someone else to make up for their parental neglect.)

By: Yobbo

Yobbo — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000

Good one Graham! Parents who send their kids to private schools do so to make up for their own bad parenting!

You should send that one in to green left weekly. They love the smell of class warfare in the morning.

By: S Whiplash

S Whiplash — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000

It is the parents of kids who do the right thing that consistently show an interest in what’s going on at school. These are the parents I’m happy to see but don’t need to see.