Why is Labor no longer moved by working-class priorities in education?

Of course, ALP ideologues argue that non-government schools are the preserve of the rich and the top end of town and that declining government school enrolments is the result of increased federal funding to already-privileged schools.

What's ignored is that the majority of non-government schools represent lower to middle-class areas and that the greatest increase in enrolments has been among less well-off parents from the suburbs Labor needs to win if it is to regain government.

At a recent education conference in Melbourne, former British education minister Estelle Morris argued that the Blair government's initiatives have led to improved standards in literacy and numeracy, especially among students most at risk.

Central to the British success is the fact that schools are largely autonomous. Schools have the power to hire and fire staff, to reward successful teachers and to set their priorities within the context of a national curriculum.

In opposition to those who argue that increased accountability will only favour middle-class parents, Morris argues that doing nothing simply means that schools in less well-off areas fall further behind.

Were Labor really committed to equity and social justice then it would, against the wishes of its ally the Australian Education Union, argue that principals should be able to hire and fire staff and reward better teachers with more pay, and that parents have the right to know about school performance.

And were Labor genuinely interested in its traditional supporters, it would not only support non-government schools but would design a funding formula similar to what are known as vouchers in the US. These would allow more working-class parents the opportunity to make the choice.

Were the ALP serious about helping working-class students, it would also argue for more selective high schools across Australia, where talent is rewarded on the basis of ability and not just wealth.

Conventional wisdom suggests that voters believe the ALP will perform better than the Liberal Party in areas such as health and education. In education, at least, on closer inspection it should be obvious that the opposite is the case.