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No. 3102. Perth, Thursday, August 15, 1963
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CONFUSION ON POLICY
Conference's 'No' or 'Yes' On Education Equality
To judge by the varied reaction in the Press, Catholic and secular, throughout Australia, the Australian Labor Party's Education Policy remains as confusing as ever. The decision of the recent Federal Conference has been interpreted by some to mean lino aid to independent schools," by others " that the way is now clear for assistance to be given to the education of children attending independent schools." The only concrete thing that came from the release of news of the conference was the long-due public admission that an absolute right for parents to educate their children along lines in conformity with their conscience does exist. The rider, "at their own cost," left the injustice of the "big party- attitude intact. Federal Labor still shirks responsibility and treats this vital question as a political football. Ultimately, as always, the final decision will be up to the various State Governments. Yet it is obvious that overall Federal assistance to States wil lhave to be considered if education is to take its proper place in Australia. And this should embrace ALL its future citizens.
DIFFERENT VIEW One point that must be remembered is that no one actually knows how much the question was thrashed out before the "policy" was Publicly revealed. This was the result of the conference deciding to keep their deliberations private. It is known that the New South Wales ALP. State Conference adopted a report in June that called for adequate science laboratories and teaching facilities in all schools. it also recommended more bursaries, scholarships and exhibitions for higher education in equal t erms for all students. Presumably the delegates did not sit like mutes and the "clarification" of the first statement made by Mr. Chamberlain seemed to admit that the New South Wales delegates won their Point. Mr. Chamberlain spoke of the use of the State school science facilities by pupils Of denominational schools and similar "fringe benefits."
How this would be done is vague, even if it is a start in the direction of justice. Extensive use of science facilities by the "host State school" would easily debar a private school from using the facilities. Also, the Teachers' Federation in New South Wales has indicated that it would oppose this provision.
HOW EXTENSIVE? It could be further queried how effective will the idea of scholarships and bursaries be? How extensive will they be to lift the financial burden where it mainly exists? Will they be only for higher education or will the Queensland system be followed and liberalised? The Queensland Government legislation providing scholarships for all secondary school pupils has not been challenged on constitutional grounds. Prior to the conference, the Parents and Friends' Federation sent a letter to the Federal Secretary of the A.L.P. (Mr. F. E. Chamberlain) expressing interest in the conference discussion on A.L.P. education policy.
MODERN EDUCATION
A group of the 350-voice choir who were at the Thanksgiving Mass on Wednesday for their teachers, the Marist Brothers 50 years of selfless service to education in W A
Parents & Citizens Oppose Equality: Letter To Govt. When it was reported that the Annual Conference of the W.A. Federation of Parents and Citizens' Associations would consider a motion opposing any further aid to non-State schools in the terms that all needs of the State school education system must be met first, the Parents and Friends' Federation arranged for them to receive a written submission on the m atter. Mr. W. I. Keogh, secretary of the Parents and Friends' Federation, said that in fairnes .it should be known that the general secretary of the P. & C. Federation had pointed out that the wording of the resolution was restricted to State Government funds, and was intended to ascertain policy. The letter dealt with the historical and post-war background of the education systems in Australia, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the effect of the overflow from non-Government schools into the State school system. The main point of the letter was to point out that by keeping the non-Government school system alive at half-cost, and enabling it to grow with needs. the use of public funds for the purpose would prove an economy. This would ultimately release mom' money for the State school system. An ap-
peal was made for a "fair go for all" and a consideration of the problem on a national level A t the conference, oneseventh of the delegates voted against the resolution which opposed to "any State aid to non-State schools until all the needs of the State education system had been met." The Parents and Friends' Federation thought that the action of the one-seventh was fair-minded and courageous.
In his letter. Mr. Mahoney enquired why nothing appeared to have been done about assurances given to the deputation made on behalf of the Anglican and Catholic Archbishops last year. Since it had been indicated that it was the intention of the States to ap-
proach the Commonwealth for increased funds for education, an assurance was sought in the letter that the needs of non-Government schools should not be overlooked. An interim reply was received this week, awaiting the return of the Premier, Mr. D. Brand, from overseas.
Anthropologist Missioner Dies
When the Deputy Leader o f the Federal Opposition was quoted as saying that no State Government had made any request to the Commonwealth Government for finances to enable it to a ssist non - Government schools, the president of the Parents and Friends' Federation, Mr. W. A. Mahoney, wrote to the ActingPremier.
In the letter, the secretary • This deterioration • Catholic parents of Ausof the Parents and Friends' would be inimical to the Federation, Mr. W. I. Keogh, tralia, virtually without any pcinted out that the federa- Government assistance, edu- interest of Australia. tion represented 113 sepa- cate almost a quarter of the The letter was not acknow rate Parents and Friends' children of this country; ledged by the Federal Sec• Due to the rapid popu- retary of the A.L.P. Associations connected with lation growth and greatly Catholic schools throughout New South Wales dele_increased cost of modern the State. The increased costs asso- education, t h e financial gates seem to be of the opinion, according to reciated with modern educa- limit to which our people ports, that "the way is now can go has been reached; tion and the burden of • Further educational ex- open for substantial proCatholic parents was pointgress along the lines agreed ed out, as was the fact that pansion in quantity must to at the State Labor Cona large proportion of the inevitably lead to deterioraference. tion in quality; children of migrants to Australia attend Catholic • A FULL REPORT of a group of five Parents and schools. Four points were made in Friends' Associations' meeting with one of their local the letter to summarise the members will be given next week situation. They were—
FATHER E. A. WORMS, S.A.C.. DIED IN ST. VINCENT'S HOSPITAL, SYDNEY, ON TUESDAY Father Worms. well known for his mission work among the Aborigines in the Kimberleys, first went to Broome in 1930. His expeditions and studies in anthropology received Australian and international renown. Father Wet-ms was last through Perth in 160. after he had completed a nine-month expedition in Central, Northern and Western Australia. lie was under medical treatment then. During the last year of his life. Father Worms contributed to a 36-volume work on "The Religions of Mankind,- published in Germany. May he rest in peace.