The growing problem called 'ADHD'

The challenge to state and federal governments is to fund public schools and teachers in proper accordance with the value of education instead of spending yet more money on subsidising Ritalin - or on rolling-out policy that fosters a user-pays system along with a now flourishing private tuition market that few can afford.

Given that stimulant medication operates mainly during school hours, the million-dollar question becomes: how many parents would still medicate their kids if schools were better able to engage and support them? Most parents simply want to get their child through school to lead happy and successful lives. We must find other, better ways of making this happen.

Substantially reducing class sizes to allow for creative teaching, increasing the number of teacher aides, reintroducing space in the curriculum for art and physical education, and having subject-specialist teachers on rotation to prevent boredom and teacher burn-out are all responsible ways to help avoid behaviour problems in schools.

Problem is: this costs much more than the $1.5 million or so a year that Tony Abbott reckons Ritalin will cost Australian taxpayers.

It means we can’t have our cake and tax cuts too. It means that it’s time for politicians to act responsibly and stop buying votes. And it’s time for the rest of us to make them.