5AA

SUBJECTS: Principal Autonomy

E&OE………………

Christopher Pyne: Well Leon, firstly can I say that I am an unrestrained enthusiast for principal autonomy in government schools and that’s the Coalition Federally, that’s our policy, was at the last election, will be at the next election and can I also say I think the State government has once again dropped the ball. They always get it wrong. Rather than doing what Western Australia has done, which allowed schools to apply to be independent public schools, they have got another top down approach from the bureaucracy and from the Minister. Because in Western Australia, the very schools that have applied for and become independent public schools, outer schools in so called tough areas, in low SES areas where they have enthusiastic young principals or middle aged principals who are desperate to make changes in their school, what they’ve seen is an enormous improvement in the testing results for their students and the engagement of the local community in respect for the schools. So in fact the schools that are struggling should be the ones that are able to embrace autonomy because they will find that the community will respond magnificently, as will their students and parents.

Leon Byner: Thanks Christopher Pyne, good to talk to you.

ENDS.