The head of public schools in New South Wales has slighted his counterparts in the non-government sector by suggesting the education system could be better off without Catholic and independent schools. Source: SMH.
NSW Education Department secretary Murat Dizdar was profiled by the ABC’s Australian Story yesterday and was quoted in a preview article for the broadcaster saying the existence of private schools “needs to be debated and discussed”.
“I’m not sure that when you look at the facts around the globe, you need that provision,” Mr Dizdar is quoted as saying in an article on ABC’s online news website.
“We’ve had countries across the world that have been very successful on their educational path with one provision, and that’s been a public provision. It needs to be debated and discussed.”
The comments sparked a fierce backlash from Catholic Schools NSW, with its chief executive, Dallas McInerney, releasing a statement confirming he had contacted the offices of NSW Premier Chris Minns and Education Minister Prue Car to express his “deep concern”.
“The secretary’s comments are outrageously bad and very worrying for Catholic education,” Mr McInerney said in the statement sent to the state’s Catholic schools.
“It is significant for all the wrong reasons when NSW’s most senior educational official puts a question mark over the role and future of our (and other non-government) schools and further invites a national discussion about his preference for a one-provision (public only) model of schooling for Australia,” he said.
“Thankfully, the department does not make policy; it is charged with implementing government policy.
Hours before the episode Class Wars went to air, Mr Dizdar appeared to walk back his comments calling into question the existence of private schools.
In a statement published on the NSW Department of Education website, he said his comments “regarding public provision were not intended to disrespect the good work of my colleagues in other sectors”.
“I recognise and value the important role the Catholic and independent sectors play in our education system in NSW, now and into the future. I am a passionate champion of the transformational power of public education,” Mr Dizdar said.
FULL STORY
NSW Education Department boss questions existence of private schools (By Christopher Harris and Lucy Carroll, Sydney Morning Herald)
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Catholic schools slam NSW Education boss over ‘outrageously bad’ ABC interview (Daily Telegraph)
