Wednesday, November 03, 2004

"PRO-CHOICE" ON ABORTION BUT NOT "PRO-CHOICE" ON EDUCATION?

How very strange -- NOT

Feminists are challenged to support school choice: "Feminist groups are out of touch with women on the issue of education, concludes a new study by Carrie L. Lukas for the Independent Women's Forum (IWF). Lukas points out that women, children, and communities benefit from school choice policies, yet feminist groups oppose vouchers and tax credits and offer only tepid support for public school choice programs. Lukas urges women's groups to return from their 'recess from reality' and support school choice."





FUN!

Real reform of Leftist bastions coming in Australia

Education Minister Brendan Nelson will use the Howard Government's new Senate majority to push through sweeping changes to the academic workplace and centralise in Canberra power over universities. Unveiling his second-term agenda yesterday, Dr Nelson signalled he would pursue some of the most contentious parts of his higher education package watered down in the Senate last year.

The changes are likely to provoke widespread industrial unrest on campuses and lead to a stoush with the states. Dr Nelson wants to outlaw compulsory membership of student unions, by reintroducing a voluntary student unionism bill that has been defeated many times in the Senate. He will also extend the use of Australian Workplace Agreements in what academic unions will see as an attack on the sacred cow of tenure. And he wants to ban strike action that damages "innocent third parties".

Dr Nelson said he wanted universities to have greater freedom on the employment mix within their institutions, using full-time, part-time and casual staff. "We strongly want to drive this performance culture and financial rewards for performance culture," he said. "I also strongly believe that every academic, every employee of the university should be free to be represented by a union. "But equally if they wish to negotiate their own working arrangements ... they are surely capable of negotiating their own employment arrangements if they choose to."....

He told The Australian yesterday he would approach the states to discuss having all legislative acts governing universities - presently enacted by each state - transferred to the commonwealth, a move that would finish what former Labor prime minister Gough Whitlam started when the federal government took over university funding and policy in the 1970s. Universities are established under state acts, which gives the states control over their borrowing, their commercial activities, part of their governing councils and financial accountability. "Too often ... the states see universities as quasi government departments," Dr Nelson said. "I think there are unnecessary restrictions on commercial activities." .....

Carolyn Allport, president of the peak National Tertiary Education Union, said that after the exhaustive negotiations to get the Government's initial higher education package through the Senate last year, Dr Nelson's opening gambit was not productive. "If the Government wants to come after us again I can assure you we are well up to it and we will hold our sites," Dr Allport said.

The National Union of Students has predicted the demise of student unions on campus under voluntary student unionism. NUS president Jodie Jansen said this would not only mean the loss of important services for students, but also threaten their representation on many boards and committees.

Dr Nelson said the most important thing for Australian higher education was to exceed international benchmarks and be competitive on quality. That required money, less regulation, and having flexible work practices.

More here

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For greatest efficiency, lowest cost and maximum choice, ALL schools should be privately owned and run -- with government-paid vouchers for the poor and minimal regulation.

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