There is a serious equity issue in our schooling system, and its not just the public vs private debate, but within the public school system itself. Citing CPD fellow Chris Bonnor, SMH’s Rachel Browne discusses the ways in which selective streaming in our public schools has created an apartheid, furthering the difference between the haves and have-nots. With students from affluent backgrounds being over-represented in selective schools compared to those from disadvantaged backgrounds, there are calls for wealthy families in selective schools to make an extra financial contribution through a means-tested levy.

Following on from the recently released Gonski report, there is a broad spectrum of advice stating that selective schooling is simply multiplying the already stark social disadvantage in our education system.

It’s clearly an equity issue. Children from less fortunate backgrounds, while they may be just as intelligent as children from more affluent homes, struggle to compete right from the word go.

Read the full article in SMH here