White families deserting public schools: research
The New South Wales Secondary Principals Council says the federal funding of private schools has led to a large number of white students leaving public schools.
A confidential survey conducted in 2006 by the council showed there had been an exodus of Anglo-European families from some public schools.
Council president Jim McAlpine says the research, released in a Sydney newspaper today, shows the phenomenon is most marked in areas where there is a high percentage of families from an Aboriginal background.
"There were significant numbers moving from public schools in some locations for what might appear to be ethnic reasons, particularly in the New England area of NSW, where students are going across the border on government-paid buses," he said.
But NSW Education Minister John Della Bosca says the most recent figures show there has been an increase of students to the state's public schools.
Mr Della Bosca says even though the figures being quoted are several years old, the public system still needs to be properly resourced in those areas.
"We need to be resourcing proper public schooling and in some areas this suggests that there may be a case for a stronger collaboration in Indigenous and isolated areas between the government, Catholic and independent systems," he said.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/10/2184653.htm
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