We need to give much more than a 'Gonski'.

In the children’s fable ‘Killing the Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs’ the farmer kills the very thing that brings him a better life.  The same thing is in danger of happening to independent and Catholic schools. 

The research, both here and overseas, shows that non-government schools, compared to many government schools, get the best results in areas like literacy and numeracy tests, Year 12 examinations and tertiary entry.

Such schools get the best results even after adjusting for students’ home background and are vital if Australia is to lift its ranking in international tests.  Non-government schools are also successful in promoting social capital – the bonds and relationships that bind communities and build trust and reciprocity.

Instead of supporting non-government schools critics like the Australian Education Union and those responsible for the Gonski report argue that such schools should be discriminated against.

Not only are they wrong but, if the AEU was fair dinkum about strengthening and helping government schools, then it would be campaigning to give state schools the same autonomy, freedom and flexibility enjoyed by non-government schools.

In the US President Obama is doing exactly that by making it a condition of federal funding that school authorities build more charter schools – schools that receive public funding while having the freedom to hire and reward staff, set their own curriculum focus and manage their own budgets.

In England, the Conservative government is doing the same thing with what are called Frees Schools and, unlike Australia where schools are increasingly micromanaged by Canberra, getting rid of heavy handed, bureaucratic interference.

If the AEU was genuinely committed to overcoming educational disadvantage it would also be campaigning for school vouchers – a situation where the money goes to the child regardless of school attended.

Under her new funding model, provided she can find the money, Prime Minister Gillard promises that a primary child will get $9,271 in base funding with a secondary student receiving $12,193.

Under a voucher system, instead of going to schools and bureaucracies, the money would go directly to parents.  If they then choose a government school the money would follow the child, if they choose a non-government school they could use the voucher to help pay school fees.  Now that would be a real education revolution.