You can't handle the truth about Victoria's secret school cuts
As Ben Carroll was standing before his bathroom mirror on Wednesday morning knotting the striped tie he'd selected for his appearance before budget estimates, Victoria's education minister faced an important choice.
Knowing he would be interrogated about his government's unannounced decision to delay by three years extra money public schools need to deliver the Gonski reforms, Carroll could either fess up or maintain the charade.
A part of him felt like channelling Colonel Nathan Jessup, Jack Nicholson's scene-stealing character in A Few Good Men. Colonel Carroll, did you oppose these funding cuts? You're God damn right I did!
Such a spontaneous outbreak of political honesty, aside from providing a moment of catharsis for Carroll, would have cleared the air around a bad decision already costing the Allan government more than the money it will save in future years.
Alas, there are no Hollywood endings in Spring Street and too few good men.
Carroll's other choice was to stick to a cynical script approved by advisers within the premier's private office in which he neither confirms nor denies the funding delay, refuses to acknowledge the financial impact on government schools and offers a vague promise to fully fund the Gonski reforms 'through the life of the agreement' – in other words, sometime in the next 10 years.
Having centred his tie to his satisfaction and given his neatly clipped, salt and pepper locks one final look in the mirror, Carroll decided discretion was the better part of valour.
He took his seat in estimates, looked back at his questioners and declared with Delphic circularity: 'We are getting on with doing everything that we are bound to do.'
Not even Jack Nicholson could do much with that line.
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Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
You can't handle the truth about Victoria's secret school cuts
As Ben Carroll was standing before his bathroom mirror on Wednesday morning knotting the striped tie he'd selected for his appearance before budget estimates, Victoria's education minister faced an important choice. Knowing he would be interrogated about his government's unannounced decision to delay by three years extra money public schools need to deliver the Gonski reforms, Carroll could either fess up or maintain the charade. A part of him felt like channelling Colonel Nathan Jessup, Jack Nicholson's scene-stealing character in A Few Good Men. Colonel Carroll, did you oppose these funding cuts? You're God damn right I did! Such a spontaneous outbreak of political honesty, aside from providing a moment of catharsis for Carroll, would have cleared the air around a bad decision already costing the Allan government more than the money it will save in future years. Alas, there are no Hollywood endings in Spring Street and too few good men. Carroll's other choice was to stick to a cynical script approved by advisers within the premier's private office in which he neither confirms nor denies the funding delay, refuses to acknowledge the financial impact on government schools and offers a vague promise to fully fund the Gonski reforms 'through the life of the agreement' – in other words, sometime in the next 10 years. Having centred his tie to his satisfaction and given his neatly clipped, salt and pepper locks one final look in the mirror, Carroll decided discretion was the better part of valour. He took his seat in estimates, looked back at his questioners and declared with Delphic circularity: 'We are getting on with doing everything that we are bound to do.' Not even Jack Nicholson could do much with that line.
The Age
2 days ago
- The Age
You can't handle the truth about Victoria's secret school cuts
As Ben Carroll was standing before his bathroom mirror on Wednesday morning knotting the striped tie he'd selected for his appearance before budget estimates, Victoria's education minister faced an important choice. Knowing he would be interrogated about his government's unannounced decision to delay by three years extra money public schools need to deliver the Gonski reforms, Carroll could either fess up or maintain the charade. A part of him felt like channelling Colonel Nathan Jessup, Jack Nicholson's scene-stealing character in A Few Good Men. Colonel Carroll, did you oppose these funding cuts? You're God damn right I did! Such a spontaneous outbreak of political honesty, aside from providing a moment of catharsis for Carroll, would have cleared the air around a bad decision already costing the Allan government more than the money it will save in future years. Alas, there are no Hollywood endings in Spring Street and too few good men. Carroll's other choice was to stick to a cynical script approved by advisers within the premier's private office in which he neither confirms nor denies the funding delay, refuses to acknowledge the financial impact on government schools and offers a vague promise to fully fund the Gonski reforms 'through the life of the agreement' – in other words, sometime in the next 10 years. Having centred his tie to his satisfaction and given his neatly clipped, salt and pepper locks one final look in the mirror, Carroll decided discretion was the better part of valour. He took his seat in estimates, looked back at his questioners and declared with Delphic circularity: 'We are getting on with doing everything that we are bound to do.' Not even Jack Nicholson could do much with that line.
The Age
3 days ago
- The Age
Northland machete brawlers should be kicked out of school, government says
Two boys allegedly involved in last month's machete brawl at Northland shopping centre should be expelled from school using upcoming expanded principal powers, the Victorian government has said. Education Minister Ben Carroll said he would expect the two school-aged boys accused of participating in the brawl that terrified Sunday-afternoon shoppers at the popular retail centre to suffer serious consequences from their schools. Carroll announced the upgraded powers for state schools to punish off-campus behaviour that puts students or teachers at serious risk – such as online bullying – on Wednesday morning, saying the change had been introduced successfully in other states. But principals warned the government to 'proceed with caution' before granting the new powers from next month. Loading The principals' peak body told the Department of Education that parents would expect school leaders to act like law enforcement officials when they are granted the expanded powers, aimed predominantly at online misconduct that has an adverse affect in the classroom or playground. Australian Principals Federation president Tina King said the profession had been blindsided on Wednesday morning when Carroll announced the changes. A school community in Melbourne's west was left reeling last week when footage was widely circulated online showing students allegedly attacking other children with a machete in the toilets of a local McDonald's. It is unclear if the new powers for principals would apply in those circumstances. Carroll says the new powers are based on similar arrangements in NSW and South Australia, where principals can suspend or expel students for out-of-school conduct.
