The LNP has rounded on the Palaszczuk government for bowing to pressure from teaching unions and consigning Queensland’s independent public schools to ‘the scrapheap’, while the union has blasted the government for not getting rid of them sooner.
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Currently, 250 Queensland schools have independent public school (IPS) status. Another 990 are non-IPS state schools.
The program was closed to further schools joining last year.
Education Minister Grace Grace released an evaluation report into the independent public schools on Wednesday, but would not commit to keeping the controversial school model beyond October 2020.
“Students in an IPS school today will continue to be in an IPS school tomorrow and for the rest of this term of government,” Ms Grace said.
But LNP opposition leader Deb Frecklington said she was disappointed the “hugely successful program” introduced by the Newman government in 2013, could be cut.
“I think it’s shocking and it’s disappointing,” Ms Frecklington.
“The IPS was a hugely successful program. The parents loved it, the teachers loved it and the community loved it.
“It is unbelievable the Premier and Education Minister are going to get rid of a program that actually works.”
In stark contrast, Queensland Teachers’ Union president Kevin Bates slammed the government’s decision to keep the school model going for another two years as “surprising and regrettable”.
“The data doesn’t support that IPS has achieved anything beyond what any other school has - all state schools are high achieving,” Mr Bates said.
“Two successive governments have committed in excess of $60 million to this program, and this evaluation does not suggest they’ve had any value-for-money out of it.
“We don’t see why one group of schools should be privileged over others.”
A steering committee, chaired by director-general Tony Cook, will immediately start working with stakeholder groups to consider the recommendations, and report back to cabinet by the end of the year.
It is expected to hold its first meeting next week.
“We want to make sure all stakeholders are consulted about how any benefits of the IPS program will roll out across our network of schools,” Ms Grace said.
“This consultation is about making sure all Queensland state school students will benefit.”
Mr Bates added as a representative on the government’s steering committee, he would participate in the short stakeholder process to develop the formal response to the report’s recommendations, despite being completely against the idea of independent public schools.
“IPS has been a failure in WA and it’s been a failure in the US and in the UK,” Mr Bates said.
“It certainly doesn’t represent value for money here in Queensland.
“Our position isn’t going to change around that, but we’ll work within that stakeholder process to advocate substantial changes to bring all schools the benefits that are currently experienced by a few.”
