The Importance Of Education In Post-War Australia
Post-war Australia 1945-75; consequently saw the development of more state schools to accommodate the rapidly growing population. Education was becoming more available, and was seen as a key means to achieve equality in society (Welch, 2010, p. 244). The government commitment to extending education opportunities was mainly due to the increased population due to migration and increased fertility in Australia (Welch, 2010, p. 243-44). However, 1985 brought an end of this development commitment by the government to just opening up more equal opportunities to an unchanged education had not worked. The focus was that education should move from a focus on equality, to more student learning outcomes-based approaches. This would offer parents a choice
in their child’s education, as they would understand which schools were performing better or offering more experiences, opportunities and facilities for their children to reach success (Windle, 2009, pp. 231-246). The ‘My School’ website provides parents information about school results and performance of meeting outcome standards in Australia, compared to other schools with similar students. Furthermore, schools who failed to meet education outcome standards would need to improve or be faced with parents choosing higher achieving schools over them (Windle, 2009, pp. 231-246).
Underpinning the report are the neoliberal ideologies of accountability, performativity, competition, marketisation choices and reformation of parents. Such ideologies underpin social policies. Furthermore, Bottrell and Goodwin (2011) explain that neoliberalism primarily focuses on the outcomes of students rather than assisting disadvantaged families or inequalities amongst social groups (pp. 22-37). In addition, Meadmore and McMilliam (2001), propose that in a market society, individuals compete against one another for their own success (pp. 31-45). Education is now seen as a product and a business to serve clients as neoliberalism values the ideas of a free market economy and privatisation of schools (Meadmore & Meadmore, 2004, 375-387). An expectation of performativity now infects education in Australia. The education systems increased focuses on performativity, the obsession with student results of standardised testing, statistics, grades, and goals (Griffiths, 2011). These standardised tests are used to determine a school’s success, reputation and builds competition against other schools, which private schools try to protect to gain potential clientele. Moreover, “contemporary Australian education wants tests results and data. Pressure to meet standards, regardless of the needs of individual students” (Stroud, 2016, p. 233). These standardised tests place unnecessary pressure on and raise the accountability of teachers and schools to ‘teach to the test’ for their students to perform. These neoliberalism schools are now using test results to market their schools and have increased their finances on resources and facilities to increase student performance.
The following will examine the ways the selected school uses its school website to market themselves to their preferred clientele, as well as investigate how these marketing techniques reflect the neo-liberalisation of Australian education.
in their child’s education, as they would understand which schools were performing better or offering more experiences, opportunities and facilities for their children to reach success (Windle, 2009, pp. 231-246). The ‘My School’ website provides parents information about school results and performance of meeting outcome standards in Australia, compared to other schools with similar students. Furthermore, schools who failed to meet education outcome standards would need to improve or be faced with parents choosing higher achieving schools over them (Windle, 2009, pp. 231-246).
Underpinning the report are the neoliberal ideologies of accountability, performativity, competition, marketisation choices and reformation of parents. Such ideologies underpin social policies. Furthermore, Bottrell and Goodwin (2011) explain that neoliberalism primarily focuses on the outcomes of students rather than assisting disadvantaged families or inequalities amongst social groups (pp. 22-37). In addition, Meadmore and McMilliam (2001), propose that in a market society, individuals compete against one another for their own success (pp. 31-45). Education is now seen as a product and a business to serve clients as neoliberalism values the ideas of a free market economy and privatisation of schools (Meadmore & Meadmore, 2004, 375-387). An expectation of performativity now infects education in Australia. The education systems increased focuses on performativity, the obsession with student results of standardised testing, statistics, grades, and goals (Griffiths, 2011). These standardised tests are used to determine a school’s success, reputation and builds competition against other schools, which private schools try to protect to gain potential clientele. Moreover, “contemporary Australian education wants tests results and data. Pressure to meet standards, regardless of the needs of individual students” (Stroud, 2016, p. 233). These standardised tests place unnecessary pressure on and raise the accountability of teachers and schools to ‘teach to the test’ for their students to perform. These neoliberalism schools are now using test results to market their schools and have increased their finances on resources and facilities to increase student performance.
The following will examine the ways the selected school uses its school website to market themselves to their preferred clientele, as well as investigate how these marketing techniques reflect the neo-liberalisation of Australian education.