Comments on: Educators can learn nothing from Chancellor Klein’s visit

By: Mark Duffett

Mark Duffett — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

“one Councilman compared Klein’s leadership to Marshall Law”

I hope the author meant to put a ‘(sic)’ in there. You really don’t want to be dropping howlers like that as an ‘educational consultant’.

By: Tom McLoughlin

Tom McLoughlin — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

There’s an extensive entry on Pepperdine Uni on wikipedia here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepperdine_University

in Malibu California. Looks a bit like Bondi Uni here. It’s got a few conservative alumni in there, not my preferred reading material, which adds weight to the cred above rather than the other way round.

Anyway if half of what this guy says is right then Julia Gillard needs more than a new hairstyle. She should resign her education ministry as suggested by Christopher Pyne in Parliament today for being over stretched, over hyped and bringing Klein over here!

What a honking goose she looks on this guy. Shows the same judgment as Michael OConner.

By: Kate

Kate — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Wow, the teacher Unions and their mates hate this Klein bloke! Take note, Federal Opposition - nothing to worry about re Julia’s IR implementation here.

By: Andrew Dunne

Andrew Dunne — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

My thanks to Gary Stager and Crikey for the piece on Joel Klein’s visit to Australia. Sections of the Australian medi have been falling over themselves to promote Klein as the new messiah for Australia’s (supposed) educational ills. Thanks to OZ editor Chris Mitchell’s unhealthy fixation with how poor our education system is (which is not backed up by the facts), we have to wade through article after article of dross in what is supposed to be the country’s leading bastion of quality journalism. This is a campaign he started as editor of The Courier Mail and he continues flogging that deceased horse with all his might. Like his paper’s record as leading climate change deniers, this mistaken crusade on education does more hamr than good. Stager’s piece demonstrates the glaring problems of an American approach to education, a country that has never been held in high regard for their schooling system. This article once again affirms why I subscribe to Crikey: to read a considered and informative approach to the news of the day and not vitriol inspired by a bizarre need to invent culture wars.

By: Bernard Keane

Bernard Keane — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Pepperdine University? WTF?

By: David

David — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Very scary stuff. Even if only 10% is totally accurate, what the hell is Gillard doing bringing this jerk to Oz and touting him as the saviour? She has left Roxon for dead in the “appointments” stakes and needs to put Klein to work with her advisors.

By: Julie

Julie — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

The never ending attacks on education without giving credit for the many good things that are happening is an ongoing process. I don't understand why we are listening to someone who likes to shut schools down rather than address the issues which is that schools have to deal with the children who walk through their doors. The children who are failing are those who would be in the schools that closed and new schools would open in the same place. What a waste that would be as why would teachers commit to schools with no future?

The scariest thing is Mike Rann who is the national president of Labor recently stated that teachers should worry about their classrooms, principals about their schools and let the Minister of Education run management. The problem with that is that the Ministers rely on bureaucrats who have no idea of what it is like to be in a classroom and deal with that dynamic. Such Ministers who listen to a fellow like Klein who knows all about testing and cost cutting but nothing about education. I am still getting over the plain English report cards which contain nothing of value as far as I am concerned as all personality has been wiped out of them.

It appears that the damage to the education sector by the Howard government will be continued under this one because those making the decisions never have to actually live with the results.

By: arty

arty — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

If our education system (including Queenland’s) is so superior and is producing Australians with the knowledge and ability to assess the worthlessness of Joe’s education model, we having nothing to fear.

Our professional teachers would not want to exchange ideas with anyone else if they having nothing to learn.

By: Brian Cambourne

Brian Cambourne — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

At last a view that gives a quite different picture of Mr Klein than that being promulgated by the Oz’s stable of right-wing commentators.
Makes one wonder who Gillard’s education advisors/ minders are. Whomsoever they turn out I”ll bet they’ve not spent much time in t primary classrooms in Australia.

By: janet

janet — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Clearly the aim is to reduce the education budget by reducing teachers salaries. The vehicle is teacher bashing. In Victoria emergency teachers are paid $216 a day. In 1996 it was $200 per day. In comparison Newstart Allowance in 1996 was $150 now it is $251 per week. Why is this important - emergency teachers rely on Newstart Allowance to top up their income in holidays and terms 1 and 3. About 10% of classes in Victoria are fronted by emergency teachers each day.
Teachers have to demonstrate fitness to teach every 5 years and always have a valid Criminal Record Check. What sort of assurances do we have over the fitness of our politicians? or our company directors?