Private school teachers have easier time

SOME people say recent results vindicate people sending their children to private schools. Ironically this was probably written by those educated in the last century as if earlier times when the focus was in basic disciplines is the panacea.

There is no way anyone could compare private school education to state schools and there is no evidence private schools do a better job because the outcomes for each student are influenced by things that have no bearing on the performance of teachers. Parents who send their child to private schools obviously have a belief in the importance of education otherwise they wouldn’t open their wallets. One could say that 100 per cent of those parents are going to ensure value for money and monitor and encourage their child. That can’t be said for 100 per cent of state school parents.

In some of my classes a considerable proportion had no intention of studying and some were determined to undermine the work of their teacher. Consequently the work of even the best teachers was undermined along with the opportunities of more diligent students.

I doubt very much that teachers in the private system would have succeeded either. I saw troublemakers defended by their parents when brought to book by the school despite some of them sending their child to school for “discipline”.

How many private school students have parents addled by drugs or have to act as carer for parent and younger siblings? Teachers in private schools have an easier time and that says nothing about their skills.

Private schools do not manufacture brains, nor do they supply IQ. The input and values of the parents along with genetics is the key influence of student performance irrespective of the school.

Bridget Landrell

West Hobart