Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

  • Advertise

    We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.

  • Volunteer

    We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.

  • Contribute

    Got something to say? Submit an essay.


 The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
On Line Opinion logo ON LINE OPINION - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Subscribe!
Subscribe





On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Democracy or bureaucracy

By Susan Wight - posted Monday, 29 May 2017


However, those regulations expire shortly and replacement ones developed by the Department of Education and Training would defer essential details to policy. These regulations will be tabled sometime in the next month. Stakeholder consultation has been minimal and had no effect on the regulations drafted.

In the first round of submissions, the 43 submissions which expressed satisfaction with the current regulations were dismissed and the two submissions (by government agencies) advocating higher regulation were given credence.

In the second round, 565 submissions were made, with only 16 not about home education. Overwhelmingly, home educator submissions opposed the changes.

Advertisement

After perpetrating a massive privacy breach in the publication of submissions, and then retracting sections of submissions in the republication process, the Education Department has indicated the regulations will be tabled without substantive change.

Once passed, the requirements for home education will be exclusively controlled by the Department of Education and Training. As the department runs the state school system, it has a vested interest in discouraging alternative education methods. Many home educators find that the registration body already actively discourages people from home education and the proposed regulations would enable policy that fits that agenda.

Home educators would prefer to keep the emphasis on education instead of unspecified bureaucratic requirements which can be changed and increased without consultation or parliamentary scrutiny.

The only way for the regulations to be avoided is through a disallowance motion. The Liberal Nationals will move this once the regulations are tabled, but the motion is dependent on cross-bench support to succeed.

This pattern of deferring details to subordinate legislation and policy is discernible throughout our law-making and could gradually result in a 'democracy' where citizens have very little control over the laws that govern their lives. Laws would say 'comply with regulations', regulations would say 'comply with policy', and the public service machine would grind on making policy.

Bureaucracy works on the Pythonesque principle that the policy is right because the policy says so. Whenever policy is revised, citizens can object, but their objections are met with standard letters.

Advertisement

When politicians make bad (or unpopular) laws, they can be voted out. When bureaucrats are in charge, there is no debate, there is no scrutiny, there is no accountability.

At what stage will our democracy tip over into being fully governed by the bureaucracy and will it be too late then to object?

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. Page 2
  4. All


Discuss in our Forums

See what other readers are saying about this article!

Click here to read & post comments.

16 posts so far.

Share this:
reddit this reddit thisbookmark with del.icio.us Del.icio.usdigg thisseed newsvineSeed NewsvineStumbleUpon StumbleUponsubmit to propellerkwoff it

About the Author

Susan Wight is a Victorian mother who, together with her husband, home educated her three children who are all now well-educated adults. She is the coordinator of the Home Education Network and editor and a regular writer for the network’s magazine, Otherways.

Other articles by this Author

All articles by Susan Wight

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Article Tools
Comment 16 comments
Print Printable version
Subscribe Subscribe
Email Email a friend
Advertisement

About Us Search Discuss Feedback Legals Privacy