A form of value adding is the way we have to think about "how good a school is". The trouble is that for a multiplicity of reasons there is no reliable data on the condition of the student(s) on entry to the school. In the absence of such input as well as output data there is no way to judge how well a school has performed. Until and unless the various entrenched groups - and there are many of them - accept, either by persuasion or by fiat and decree, that consistent, reliable data has to be obtained regularly, and each individual student's outcomes traced over the years, then we shall remain in the dark.
In terms of the debate about "public" versus "private" schools, there are some basic matters that need to be considered if we are to have any hope of having a discussion that might just help children in the long run
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The first is the fact that the differences within any given group are always greater than the differences between two groups. The fact the differences within a group are bigger than differences between groups also applies to schools. There is very hard data showing "individual schools" are much more influential than "school sector" on the final ENTER/TES/OP results. In other words selecting or not selecting a school because it is (or is not) "Government" or "Catholic" or "Independent" is totally inappropriate.
It is the individual school that counts, nothing else.
A second thing that has to be remembered when choosing a school is that all the syllabi, including the complex, poorly defined and non-numerate assessment systems, are not a relevant factor. All schools, irrespective of type, must follow the syllabi produced by the State Board of Study (under whatever name). If a syllabus is a weak thin gruel then that's what is being dished out in all the schools irrespective of type. It is interesting to note that two of the most singeing criticisms of the Maths and Science courses that were published recently in The Australian were from a current student and one who left last year - both from "good quality private schools". The Principal of St Augustine's College in Cairns has stated that the curriculum "has degenerated into a confused and confusing morass".
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The brute fact is parents have no real information, so they cannot make informed choices. However, collectively they have power, especially electoral power. They therefore should:
- agitate for a system that allows valid measurement of value adding, so drastically improving the knowledge base for parents to operate from;
- examine each school individually because differences between individual schools are far greater than the differences between school types;
- nag or question senior staff about some hard nosed details - how many lessons of Maths (or whatever) in years 8/9/10, how long, how often lost to other more important activities such as swimming carnivals, retreats and celebratory masses? How are the students organised for the various subjects? What assessment techniques are used, how validated, how aggregated, how reported?; and
- never be put off by sprays of obfuscation and jargon that tends to ooze from "educationalists". Demand communication in English. After all, if they cannot explain things clearly to an adult they are axiomatically poor teachers.
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