In The
Sydney Morning Herald dated 18 February 2013(Monday), there was an article
titled "School choice is not just keeping the faith". SMH journalists Josephine Tovey and Georgina
Mitchell wrote that "When it comes to where their children will be
educated, many parents are making decisions based on reasons other than
religion." It is becoming very
popular for parents to choose religious schools for their children. Compared to
public schools, enrolments in independent and catholic schools are increasing
at a faster rate.
Dr. Helen Proctor from the University of
Sydney says, "It's one of the great paradoxes of Australian
education.....we are one of the least religious nations in the world, yet we
have this large and increasing attendance of children in religious
schools."
Public
schools form the vast majority of schools in NSW. Although religion is not
taught as a compulsory subject in public schools, the schools like to celebrate the diversity of
the backgrounds of their students and will often integrate a study of various cultures
of their student population into their teaching curriculum (Parker, 2011, pp.
107).
Parents
have to pay higher fees in private schools than public schools. The two types
of private schools are catholic schools and independent schools. Most NSW
independent schools are religious schools, varying from Islamic to Christian
schools. The amount of school fees charged by the private school does not
indicate the academic performance of the school. Some schools with high school
fees produce mediocre academic results but schools which charge less obtain
better results(Parker, 2011. pp.134).
According
to Dr. Helen Proctor, parents choose
non-public schools because they were disaffected with public schools.
In my
opinion, parents feel that they are buying a
good education for their children by enrolling them in a private school. The
following are some reasons why parents choose religious schools:
1. Almost all the best private schools in Sydney are
religious schools. This is why many non-religious parents enrol their children
in them.
2. Parents have the perception that the teaching is superior in a
private school compared to a public school.
3. There will be more
competitive higher achieving students in private schools. As competition
improves performance, students will perform well academically.
4. Parents feel that public schools have poor reputation particularly
in the area of discipline. They attempt to “protect”
their children from other children whom they think are not well-behaved or are
of bad influence.
5. Parents feel that the stronger emphasis
on values in private schools is beneficial for their children. They expect areas
like sex education and principles of social justice to be taught. Proctor says
that parents choose religious schools because of their strong emphasis on
social justice and charity.
6. Parents
feel that private schools have new
buildings and good facilities.
On the
other hand, there are parents who send their children to public schools instead
of religious schools because they want the diversity the public schools offer
and the understanding of different faith and cultures.
Parents' choice of schools for their children show the way they understand education and how they make sense of the options of schooling. Wadham et.al. say "Culture is the embodied lenses we inherit from the past via which we look at the world.....we make sense of everything around us and of ourselves" (Wadham et. al., 2007, pp.21).
Parents' choice of schools for their children show the way they understand education and how they make sense of the options of schooling. Wadham et.al. say "Culture is the embodied lenses we inherit from the past via which we look at the world.....we make sense of everything around us and of ourselves" (Wadham et. al., 2007, pp.21).
According to Ann Swidler, "culture influences action not by providing the ultimate values toward which action is oriented, but by shaping a repertoire or 'tool kit' of habits, skills, and styles from which people construct 'strategies of action'" (Swidler, 1986, pp.273). Culture is the "toolbox" that can be used and drawn upon to interpret , make sense of the world and solve problems. Different tools within each kit are used to make sense of different situations. Parents draw upon the tools of their past experiences to make sense of education and choice of school. From here, we can see that culture plays an important role in the process of school choice.
References:
Campbell, C., Proctor, H., Sherington, G. (2009). School Choice: How Parents Negotiate the New School Markets in Australia. Sydney: Allen & Unwin.
Parker, M. (2011). My School. Sydney: Random House.
Swidler, A. (1986). Culture in Action: Symbols and Strategies. American Sociological Review 51:273-86
Tovey J,Mitchell. G,2013 "School choice is not just keeping the faith"Sydney Morning Herald
(Accessed on 18 September 2013)
Wadham, B., Pudsey, J. & Boyd, R. (2007). Culture and Education. Sydney: Pearson Education. Chapter 1: What is culture?
Wadham, B., Pudsey, J. & Boyd, R. (2007). Culture and Education. Sydney: Pearson Education. Chapter 1: What is culture?
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