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We need hundreds more schools as good as Mac.Rob
September 11, 2007 Greens MLC Greg Barber said today that unlike Labor, the Greens would not shut down any Victorian schools."Labor are the ones who shut down schools. They have closed 20 of them in the past three years, raising $52 million in revenue after selling off the land." He said expert opinion was divided on the value of selective high schools and the Greens policy of phasing out the selection process (not the schools themselves) was based on a fair go for all students. "Educational experts disagree about whether the streaming methods that deliver the academically best students to selective high schools such as Mac.Robertson Girls' High and Melbourne High help the students they are meant to,” Mr Barber said. “But they can disadvantage students in the surrounding areas by drawing away their talented peers. |  |
| “Despite this disquiet, Labor is racing ahead to expand the program, with no evidence and no public debate. There are only two of these schools and Labor plans to open two more. Parents in every other school will be wondering why they need to run a cake stall to get sports equipment. "Mac.Rob is a great school. Why can't all Victorian schools be as good? "The Greens believe that every child should have a flexible program that matches their learning needs. This includes children from all backgrounds and abilities. "Last week Education Minister Bronwyn Pike said: 'We support children of all abilities and the right of parents to send them to schools of excellence if they want to'. "The problem is that Victorian Labor spends less on education, per student, than any Australian state. "The Greens want an immediate, billion-dollar injection into the education system, so that every student is offered and can get an excellent education in their local public school. Labor can't promise that and has no intention of delivering it. |
