http://www.thepunch.com.au/author-bios/kevin-donnelly/ Dr Kevin Donnelly is one of Australia’s leading education commentators and author of Why Our Schools are Failing (2004), Dumbing Down: outcomes-based and politically correct – the impact of the culture wars on our schools (2007) and Australia’s Education Revolution: How Kevin Rudd Won and Lost the Education Wars (2009). He taught English for 18 years in Victorian government and non-government secondary schools and has been a member of state and national curriculum bodes, including the Year 12 English Panel of Examiners, the Victorian Board of Studies and the Discovering Democracy Programme.  Kevin is Director of Melbourne-based Education Standards Institute. http://www.edstandards.com.au  ESI is a conservative think-tank committed to an education system based on standards, equity, diversity and choice and the values and institutions that promote liberty, democracy, an open and free society and a commitment to Christian beliefs and values.  en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/education-revolution-pah-more-like-bureaucrat-bonanza/ The Austrian economist Friedrich Hayek, in the Road to Serfdom, warns against centralised planning and control. He also warns of the conceit evidenced by bureaucrats and politicians that they can regulate and manage the myriad, complex relationships and transactions underpinning an open and free society. One doubts whether Minister Garrett or the educrats responsible for the draft Australian Teacher Performance and Development Framework have ever read Hayek’s book – if they had, they would realise how dangerous and counter-productive it is. The teacher performance framework, released last week, represents the most recent milestone in the Rudd/Gillard education revolution and the mania the Commonwealth Government has to micromanage schools. Even though Canberra neither owns any schools nor employs any staff, all roads lead to Canberra. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Kevin Donnelly) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/education-revolution-pah-more-like-bureaucrat-bonanza/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/education-revolution-pah-more-like-bureaucrat-bonanza/#item8376 Tue, 01 May 2012 19:35:10 +0000 Kevin Donnelly | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Dogmatic-private-school-haters-will-never-ever-learn/ Do Australian schools reinforce disadvantage and fail to promote equity in education? Cultural-left critics, like the Australian Education Union, teacher academics like Melbourne University’s Jack Keating and, most recently, the Gonski Report on school funding all argue “yes”. The belief is that instead of providing a ladder of opportunity and overcoming disadvantage, Australia’s schools, especially non-government schools and selective high schools, reinforce inequity and injustice by favouring already privileged and affluent students at the expense of those less fortunate. According to critics, only the wealthy can afford a good education while poorer students forced to attend government schools are destined to failure. As a result, critics argue, governments must stop funding Catholic and independent schools, selective high schools (where entry is based on merit and ability) must be closed and all students must be forced to attend the same state-managed and controlled government schools. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Kevin Donnelly) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Dogmatic-private-school-haters-will-never-ever-learn/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Dogmatic-private-school-haters-will-never-ever-learn/#item8153 Mon, 02 Apr 2012 19:50:37 +0000 Kevin Donnelly | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Competition-between-schools-deserves-a-sporting-chance/ The London Olympic Games later this year has focused minds on the place of competition, excellence and winning in sport. Historically, the Games have allowed various countries to showcase their best athletes and the medal count represents a league table used by nations and their citizens to evaluate success and failure. Recent events suggest that this might no longer be the case. Research funded by the European based Equity in Sport foundation concludes that not all countries and athletes have an equal chance of success. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Kevin Donnelly) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Competition-between-schools-deserves-a-sporting-chance/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Competition-between-schools-deserves-a-sporting-chance/#item7975 Mon, 12 Mar 2012 19:40:54 +0000 Kevin Donnelly | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/too-many-strings-attached-to-federal-schools-funding/ Much of the argument and debate around the Gonski funding review, which is due for release next Monday, relates to equity and disadvantage and whether non-government schools should be financially penalised.  While funding is crucial, for both government and non-government schools, equally as important are the conditions attached to funding and the extent to which governments regulate schools. When it comes to education the consensus is that Julia Gillard, as education minister and now as Prime Minister, has reigned over a highly, centralised, micromanaged and bureaucratic model of educational delivery. Despite the fact that the federal government neither manages any schools nor employs any staff, all roads lead to Canberra.  Whether a national curriculum, national testing and accountability, national teacher certification and registration or the Building the Education Revolution fiasco, schools are being forced to implement the government’s agenda. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Kevin Donnelly) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/too-many-strings-attached-to-federal-schools-funding/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/too-many-strings-attached-to-federal-schools-funding/#item7768 Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:45:03 +0000 Kevin Donnelly | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/hey-gillard-leave-the-schools-alone/ The Prime Minister’s decision to throw Peter Garrett, the education minister, a lifeline in the form of Brendan O’Connor to manage the school funding review, chaired by David Gonski, proves how sensitive and potentially politically damaging the issue is. Non-government schools enrolments have surged over the last 15 or so years with much of the increase occurring in low fee paying non-denominational schools in marginal seats that are crucial in any election campaign. During the 2004 election campaign Mark Latham’s hit list of wealthy private schools proved an electoral liability and when education minister, the now Prime Minister Julia Gillard, assured non-government schools and their parents that schools would not suffer financially as a result of the review. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Kevin Donnelly) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/hey-gillard-leave-the-schools-alone/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/hey-gillard-leave-the-schools-alone/#item7391 Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:35:40 +0000 Kevin Donnelly | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Stop-treating-private-schools-like-rich-snooty-cousins/ Given today’s national day of action being called by non-government school critics like the Australian Education Union, a recent publication on school funding by Sydney’s Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) merits close attention. Especially as it’s not often that a free enterprise and free economy think tank like the CIS supports a cultural-left view of public policy. Normally, one expects that while the left opposes market forces and favours increased government control, the other will advocate minimal government and freedom of choice. Not to so when it comes to debates about school funding. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Kevin Donnelly) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Stop-treating-private-schools-like-rich-snooty-cousins/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Stop-treating-private-schools-like-rich-snooty-cousins/#item7150 Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:40:58 +0000 Kevin Donnelly | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/The-PC-species-is-full-of-faeces/ There you have it!  After 40 years of feminists like Germaine Greer and the sisterhood telling men that it’s wrong to objectify womyn and that equality means treating them like blokes, a recent survey of Australian men proves that little, if anything, has changed. A recent survey of men’s attitudes, carried out by Derek Jones from D&M Research, concludes that men, primarily, look for sex appeal in a relationship and that what they most look for in a women are good breasts and a nice backside. According to Derek Jones, while political correctness is forcing men to act like new-age, sensitive guys, look below the surface and most men still prefer Megan Gale and Jennifer Hawkins. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Kevin Donnelly) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/The-PC-species-is-full-of-faeces/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/The-PC-species-is-full-of-faeces/#item6683 Thu, 08 Sep 2011 19:57:07 +0000 Kevin Donnelly | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/The-more-school-options-the-better-it-is-for-all-of-us/ One of the major criticisms of Catholic and independent schools advanced by those arguing that government funding should be cut is that choice and diversity in education lead to inequality. Critics like the Australian Education Union (AEU) and the Canberra-based Save Our Schools pressure group argue that non-government schools should not be funded as, supposedly, they are elitist and privileged and because they promote an education system where state school students from low socioeconomic communities are further disadvantaged. As argued by the AEU President, Angelo Gavriolatos, “At the heart of the equity problem is the increasing concentration of students from wealthy families in private schools and those from low SES (socioeconomic status) families in public schools – a segregation that is the direct result of the market reforms of successive governments”. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Kevin Donnelly) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/The-more-school-options-the-better-it-is-for-all-of-us/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/The-more-school-options-the-better-it-is-for-all-of-us/#item6484 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 19:35:37 +0000 Kevin Donnelly | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/green-with-class-envy-and-bent-on-change/ Last week’s decision by the Independent Education Union of Australia to split from the Australian Council of Trade Unions because the ACTU supports the Green’s stance against non-government schools is the correct one. On reading the Greens’ education policy document, there is no doubt that Catholic and independent schools are in the firing line.  While the Liberal-National Coalition is committed to properly funding such schools and respects their right to manage themselves, the Greens are dedicated to cutting funding and destroying the autonomy such schools currently enjoy. Given that the Gillard-led government is beholden to the Greens for its continued survival, and the equivocal nature of its commitment to properly funding non-government schools, then there is every chance that those opposed to Catholic and independent schools will get their way.  feedback@thepunch.com.au (Kevin Donnelly) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/green-with-class-envy-and-bent-on-change/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/green-with-class-envy-and-bent-on-change/#item6292 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 19:45:30 +0000 Kevin Donnelly | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/mad-as-a-cut-snake-as-insulting-as-meow/ The argument that much of Australia’s media and associated journalists are cultural-left in their leanings is proven by last week’s events involving Senator Penny Wong being insulted by the infamous ‘meow’ interjection and Bob Hawke’s very public description of Tony Abbott, the leader of the federal opposition, as ‘mad as a cut snake’. If the Canberra-based media commissariat is fair and balanced, there’s no doubt that the ex-ALP Prime Minister’s snide and offensive description of Abbott would have received the same coverage and condemnation as Senator Bushby’s interjection. Given the hue and cry against Senator Bushby’s catcall against Senator Wong, it only stands to reason that if critics are consistent they will also have to call old silver budgie to account. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Kevin Donnelly) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/mad-as-a-cut-snake-as-insulting-as-meow/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/mad-as-a-cut-snake-as-insulting-as-meow/#item6026 Tue, 07 Jun 2011 19:40:16 +0000 Kevin Donnelly | Author bios | The Punch