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An Open Letter to the Prime Minister
January 21, 2004, 12:57 a.m. Dear Prime Minister Howard, Parents are sending their children to private schools because public schools are too politically correct and are in the stranglehold of the teachers’ unions? No, my good man, they’re sending their children to private schools because they’re not dumb. They can see what side the bread’s buttered on, where the money’s going, and it’s quite clearly not going to public schools. They want the best for their kids, and the sad fact is they don’t think their government can provide it for them – at least not without them kicking in a few thousand dollars a year themselves. And you know what? That sickens me. Public schools are not ‘value neutral’ just because they don’t espouse your values. I know ideas of equality and respect for others’ beliefs are a bit out there for you, but trust me, they give quite a bit of peace of mind. You’re not always in a state of crisis, trying to protect them from all manner of people who ‘threaten’ them, for a start. However, they don’t give much peace of mind if you don’t follow through on them, so how ’bout throwing the Australian public a bone, and start putting less funding into private schools, and more into public schools? It’s really not that novel an idea – plenty of countries that are considered the best places to live do it. Sure, they’re not taking part in huge, and probably unnecessary, wars, nor are they cosying up to ‘the leader of the free world’ (who sometimes doesn’t appear to have attended any school, public or private), but then, those aren’t quite the indicators of success you seem to think they are, Mr. Howard. In conclusion Mr Howard, stop trying to douse the flames with water (though I suspect that may actually be vodka you have there) and turn off the gas leak. Yours sincerely,
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