[Greens-Media] Tas Greens_Bartlett Wrings Hands on School League Tables-But Takes No Action_N McKim MP

[greens at parliament.tas.gov.au]

BARTLETT TRIES TO HAVE A BOB EACH WAY ON BANNING PUBLICATION OF SCHOOL
LEAGUE TABLES

"I Guess 'Hypocrite' Applies..."

Nick McKim MP
Greens Leader

Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Contact: State Parliamentary Offices of the Tasmanian Greens, (03) 6233
8300

www.tas.greens.org.au


The Tasmanian Greens today accused the Premier and Education Minister,
David Bartlett of squibbing the tough decisions by his refusal to
legislate to ban the publication of school league tables, despite his
professed opposition to their publication.

Greens Leader and Education spokesperson Nick McKim MP said that
parents, students, school communities and teachers need decisive action
from the Minister, not just more hand-wringing.

"League tables will be published unless there is a ban, as we discovered
recently in Tasmania, and we should therefore legislate to protect
school communities in disadvantaged areas from being unfairly slurred,"
Mr McKim said.

"All Mr Bartlett seems prepared to do is cross his fingers and hope that
league tables are not published. He's letting down teachers, students
and school communities." 

"The federal President of the Australian Education Union has said that
politicians who oppose the publication of league tables but then do not
pass laws banning their publication are hypocrites. It's a description
which I guess now fits Mr Bartlett."

"Freedom of speech, while crucially important, is not an absolute right
as it must be balanced with other considerations such as the need to
protect minority groups and vulnerable people, and in this case the
public benefit of a legislated ban overrides any freedom of speech
arguments."

Mr McKim said that the Australian Education Union, the State Parents and
Friends Association, the Tasmanian Principals Association, The
Australian Primary Principals Association, the Australian Secondary
Principals Association, the State Schools Parents and Friends
Association State Conference, and a range of national and international
academics are all against publication due to the damage it can do to
disadvantaged schools and their communities.




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