School Choice: A matter of private vs public?

Its no secret: If prestige, power and privilege were people, they would find themselves lingering in the most wealthy and influential fringes of Sydney’s northern beaches and eastern suburbs. Socioeconomic status has always played a vital role in access to Australian society’s finest resources; from the best of hospitals to the best of schools. The reality is, school choice does differ in certain areas of Sydney, with those who have access to greater monetary means, leaning towards the more market-based private schools. There may be the reasons of greater access to resources and the possibility of quality teaching and greater academic results, but what is interesting to discuss is the cultural influence of school choice. There undoubtedly exists a cultural perspective of private schools as ‘prestige’, ‘rich’ and ‘posh’, with public schools more ‘tough’, ‘multicultural’ and of ‘lesser value’.  

“Last year, just 65.7 per cent of students in NSW were enrolled in a government school, the lowest proportion since Federation”, enough for Tovey (2013) to delve deep into an investigation of the reasons people place their kids in specific schools. Her approach was one that surrounded academic standing; she chose to look at the differences of student outcomes from both private and public schools and the perceptions of parents on the outcomes achieved in both. However, as with most, what she found is that there really isn’t that much of a significant difference between the two, noting that “there has to be a pretty strong reason for you to pay for something you can get for free” (Tovey, 2013), leaving the implication that status and the cultural perceptions of parents may be a big reason for the shift.

Wadham, Pudsy and Boyd (2007) present a very extensive definition of culture; opening readers’ eyes to the fact that it is not only a list of attributes that claims us as being part of a specific group, but is a means by which we see the world and is not inclusive of only symbols and signs. What is interesting to consider here are the different worldviews of people of different statuses towards education. Education is indeed a cultural element; seen by some as a necessity and by some as a possible road to take. Essentially, this is all influenced by socio-economic status. Each social group has their own common cultural perception of schooling, highly influencing the choices they make about the schools they wish to send their children to. Those who live in more affluent areas are more likely to choose schools for their children that will act as a place where the reproduction of their ‘culture’ takes place and the reality is; these schools are going to be located in the more affluent areas of Sydney. Where further south or west, there is often the value for education, yet not such great value for prestige and affluence, where we may see more students enrolled in public schools than private.

Of course academic outcomes and access to resources play a major role in the choice parents make regarding the schooling of their children, however the opinions, views and culture of the socioeconomic status, or suburban district, do indeed have great impact. An ongoing cycle of social and cultural reproduction through education.

Tovey, J. (2013). Gone are the days of the old school yard. Retrieved on October 2013, http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/gone-are-the-days-of-the-old-school-yard-20130823-2sh09.html 

Wadham, B. Pudsey, J. & Boyd, R. (2007). Culture and education. Sydney: Pearson Education. Chapter 1: What is culture?