http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/200-schools-worse-off-in-new-scheme-20131022-2vz9n.html
The Gonski initiative will mean a loss for over 200 schools (many who are low economic : according to the above article (October 23,2013) while many schools will receive extra funding through the needs based program, other schools will be receiving less then they previously did. for example Wiley park girls school will receive $50,000 less ( the maximum capped amount that a school could lose) - the loss of funding in particular school has occurred even though Gillard stated that no school would lose funding. Pollies are quick to jump at the flaws in the initiative, and that schools in low S.E.S areas should not be losing funding.
Taking away cash from needy schools who have previously benefited from the funding.
Gewirtz Dimensions of justice touch on what is going on with the governments initiatives. The government is trying to develop the 'soup of justice' but is failing in my opinion. The government is trying to even out the equality of opportunity by providing funding to the schools that are in need, but at the same time are not addressing the discrimination that helped the disadvantage to occur in the first place. They are just throwing money at the problem without addressing the procedures and processes that are in place that allow the disadvantage to continue. Equality of condition such as Privilege, social capital, wealth and power hierarchies seem to be ignored.
Distributional justice is the aim of the Gonski plans, even though we can see holes in the distribution, the government is trying to provide those who are disadvantage with funds to help close the gap.
The relational justice is not looked at- that is the power relations within the system which defines how people treat each other.
I think that the Gonski plan is a good start at tackling the gap between school outcomes, but i also think that the government can do allot more to to prevent the disadvantage from occurring in the first place. More attention is needed to the relational justice: being the interconnections between individuals and groups and the systems that allow the interactions to be what they are.
Just a little comedy to lighten the mood. :)
References:
- http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/funding-cuts-for-poor-schools-were-worse-without-gonski-funds-20131026-2w8gi.html
- http://www.news.com.au/national/editorial-better-education-should-not-be-class-warfare/story-e6frfkp9-1226276353748
- Gewirtz, S. (1998). conceptualizing social justice in education: mapping the territory. journal of education policy, 13 (4), 469-484.
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