Making an education revolution happen

Libraries
Libraries are always under-funded for the work we expect them to do. School libraries ought to be really exciting places that children visit to see what they are doing next. Occasionally I will see a school library with a go-ahead librarian, heaps of displays and children everywhere. More often they are dead, colourless and nearly deserted.

Teachers
We have to find ways of getting better people into teaching, and keeping them there. Teacher pay is just too poor to attract the best students. I applaud the plan by Rudd’s Labor Government to test teacher entrants to teaching. In my view, a grammar test of any difficulty would fail maybe a third of the students I have met.

And then what do we do with them? Are teacher education staff qualified to teach them grammar? Such staff have many demands on their time: attending meetings, obeying more decrees from university “pooh-bahs”, teaching, marking and so on. Do they have the time to teach yet another nuisance group of failed students who bitterly resent being failed and will complain venomously about the evil people who failed them?

Media
Any government has to work with the media to effect change. Yet in my experience, good programs are pushed out by drivel. And journalists consistently aim at the lowest common denominator. Reporting of educational issues is appalling in most media, especially on television. How often have I been able to predict that the “current affairs” shows will tart up a serious issue with nonsense and people who are lined up, hopefully to attack each other in the name of civilised debate.

Public television and radio could do much in this regard. We need programs teaching people basic English, as well as Spanish and Mandarin. Here, the federal Government could do much useful work, and use public media to educate us all.

PISA has given us food for thought. If the Rudd Government wants an education revolution, that is good news. I worry about how it will happen, given the inertia in the system. Ms Gillard must know the Federal Government doesn’t employ one teacher. It doesn’t run one school. To make the revolution happen, she will need the support of the States, the teacher unions, academics, parents, even the media. I sincerely hope she succeeds.