Political Contexts and Forces of Education

With an increasing trend in Australia towards students completing their schooling education, this leads to a higher expectation being placed on not only schools but also the teachers themselves. Political factors that influence education within Australia include pay rates for teachers and school funding provided by the Government.

- Pay rates

Currently in Victoria the Australian Education Union is fighting for Victorian teachers to receive a pay increase and ongoing contracts for job security (as was originally promised by the premier).

Because of the governments refusal to fulfill its promise to the teachers of Victoria they have since gone on strike in search of the rise they were promised.

How this affects education

This political issue effects education as many schools close during days that teachers are on strike, with children staying home and losing out on their education.

As said by AEU state secretary Mary Bluett;

"To ensure every Victorian student receives the education they deserve, we need to attract and retain the best quality teachers, principals and support staff to our schools." (Frankston Standard Leader, accessed 28/09/12) The context of this political issue in relation to education is that without sufficient pay rates and reasonable working conditions people are likely to rethink a profession in the teaching industry and we will therefore be limited in the number of good quality teachers available to provide a quality education for future generations.

- School funding

Along with needing good quality teachers, schools also require sufficient government funding to provide a high quality education to students.

The majority of school funding comes from the State Governments and the remainder from the Commonwealth Government. However, the Commonwealth Government provides the majority of its funding to non-government schools, with the state providing the majority of their funding to government schools. Whilst the majority of Commonwealth Government funding is provided to non-government schools, this amount has fluctuated over time, decreasing when a Labour government is in power and increasing when a Liberal government is in power. This trend since 1977 – 2007 can perhaps indicate that school funding is a very political exercise and that education is clearly a political force. (Australia’s School Funding System, accessed 30/09/12)

Keeping this in mind I think it is hard to provide universal access to education with these political drivers in play, keeping the gap between state and private school education.

REFERENCES

Frankston Standard Leader

http://frankston-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/teacher-strike-to-affect-700-schools-close-160/ accessed 28/09/12)

Australia’s School Funding System

http://www.acer.edu.au/documents/PolicyBriefs_Dowling07.pdf accessed 30/09/2012