Before I begin, I want to say I dont mean to add to the private vs public school debate but just to add the the understanding of why the results of public schools are glorified by the media as they are expected to fail whereas the private schools are designed just to excel far beyond their public counterparts.
I go to a public school way out in the "sticks" as you call it. our global funding per annum is far below 200000 yet we performed very well against every hardship we face.
In Chemistry for example, it is impossible for our to perform the experiments set out in the senior curriculum more complicated that making alloys. So how can our students have been expected to perform higher in that subject than a band three at best? To make matters worse, their preliminary teacher dictated notes from a textbook and couldn't demonstrate the most rudimentary calculations that set groundwork for the HSC course. This teacher abandoned the class so the class was left with only a Home Economics trained substitute. This class was finally picked up mid semester one 2002 by a capable teacher and each student passed, and all exceeded band three. Sure, this is nowhere near private school results but commendable all the same.
What about Physics? No working CRT or CROs, no means to view medical apparatus as required by the syllabus and we do not even have a properly functioning induction coil. I shudder to think that if in the exam we got Describe an experiment questions as they would be examining our creative writing even more than they already do. For each of these experiments we were told what we could do but that just isnt sufficient to attain the understanding those experiments are designed to create in students. The class was made up of many that would have not been allowed within five kilometres of enrolling in more exclusive schools. Our class reached the state mean, barely, but got there. I had the opportunity to visit a private school and found the equipment we would of used in a year seven laboratory unused collecting dust. Well..
Thanks to the Computers in Schools program, even public schools have a good chance at good scores in computing dont they?
We have one qualified computing teacher but he is also the only qualified Physics and Chemistry teacher. Inevitably, we have underqualified teachers out of their fields. It seems that if a teacher can set their VCR to record the Soaps, they can teach computing. Our Software Design and Development cannot complete the 2001 HSC exam paper to this date. Nevertheless, he got a high band five in his class this year.
Thats enough whingeing. We got more than 5 UAIs over 90 and the schools is ecstatic, far out performing the local private schools against all expectations. Now to the point, (sorry), our average UAI would be less than 70 taking away from the schools good results. That would indicate we are a bad school with below average students, which I see as an unfair generalisation.
I will never undermine private schooling and their undeniably magnificent results. I would have attended a private school in a heartbeat but I live in the bush (4 hours from Sydney) and the fees would be unreachable due to our household income. When the time comes, I would not send my children to a public school but credit should be given where it is due and that is why people in the media and political arenas commend their results although they are far below those of private schools. Public schools like us are proud of the wide curriculum we offer but cannot be competitive with those schools whose averages are very close to 100.
Public schools need all the help and that is why my friends and myself owe so much to this site and forums and are so appreciative that the resources are so comprehensive.
Thankyou BoredofStudies
I do understand the irony that the site is compiled by the majority, if not all formerly private school students.
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