Letter

In response to How the ALP built the market that is destroying public schools

Failure of education policy

Whitlam created a rod for Labor with the decision to introduce state aid for private schools. At the time it secured the Catholic vote and reassured many Coalition supporters that Labor was not such a big threat.

This has not fundamentally changed – Labor realises that any dimunition of funding to the private sector will be a threat to its re-election prospects.

Even Albanese’s substantial majority does not make the government immune. The challenge for the government is to find a way to support parental choice without exacerbating educational inequity.

— John Tons from SA