The enquiry's real value

The enquiry's real value

As described in my letter to the committe's chairman, their report has been little more than self-serving tripe. This was no better demonstrated than in the foreward to the report where the chairman went out of his way to thank three groups of people:

His public servants for helping prepare the report.

Teachers. (Note that the chairman is a former high-school teacher).

The committee.

These people are already being paid for their work! Why do they need to be thanked? What about the unpaid work of parents, community volunteers, and those who prepared submissions in their own time?

It is possible to conclude that two and a half years and countless taxpayer dollars have been wasted, but I think at least two valuable things have come out of this enquiry:

The fact that the enquiry's work is on permanent public display via the internet makes an excellent case study in government ineffectiveness.

Some of the submissions made were outstanding, and show that there are caring and effective members of the community that we can all learn from and draw strength from.

Of the submissions I have read, three seem to stand out as exemplary:

Mr Scott Thompson

Mr Thompson is a primary school teacher in country Victoria where rather than limit himself to standard teaching techniques, he has developed his own style based on "business in the classroom".

Read his submission.

Mrs Vivianne Byrnes

Ms Byrnes is an independent educator with a website presence.

She draws from her years of experience to provide practical and proven techniques on what works for boys.

Read her submission.

Mrs Rosemary Andersen

In a breathtakingly simple submission, Mrs Andersen presents a compelling remedy - that boys and girls are separated in school.

The big danger in many of the committee's recommendations is that by the time their suggestions get to the people who have to implement them, they may have been subverted or just ignored.

Mrs Anderson's recommendation can be quickly, cheaply and uncompromisingly implemented - after which would likely lead to:

Boys not having to compete with girls for teachers' attention.

Boys not being distracted by girls in the classroom.

Teachers tailoring their lessons to suit the class (boys or girls).

A strong boys' culture developing inside the classroom.

Read her submission.