The widely held myth that private schools deliver better results than public schools has taken another blow. A new study of NAPLAN results shows that public schools do as well as private schools despite the large resource advantage of private schools.
After taking account of the socio-economic background of students, the report found that private schools do not have higher average student achievement in standardized literacy and numeracy tests than public schools in any grade tested. Nor do private schools provide greater progress in reading and numeracy from Grade 3 through Grade 9. The study concludes:
“The results support and extend on previous studies using large-scale samples and similar methodology which indicate that school sector differences are largely explained by differences in the background characteristics of students who select into different school sectors.” [p.22]
It said that the results raise serious questions about the worth of private school education, especially one heavily subsidised by the taxpayer.
“These results lend additional support to the argument that the high investment in private schooling in Australia does not necessarily lead to better achievement outcomes for students attending those schools.” [p. 24]
Moreover:
“In terms of equity, our results support analysis from the OECD in indicating that a large independent school sector, underpinned by market values of competition and choice, and supported by high levels of government funding are not optimal features of an equitable education system.” [p. 28]
The study looked at a sample of 2,762 Australian students in grades 3, 5, 7 and 9 who completed NAPLAN between 2008 and 2018. It examined whether differences in literacy and numeracy achievement were related to attendance at public or private schools. It examined whether school sector differences were evident in NAPLAN achievement both at points of time and whether there were differences over time in the progression of students from Grade 3 to Grade 9.
Private school students marginally outperformed their public school counterparts in grades 7 and 9 in the raw scores, but the small differences disappeared after socio-economic status and prior achievement were included as covariates. No advantage of attendance at private schools was evident in grades 3 and 5.
The longitudinal analysis compared growth trajectories of NAPLAN results for different groups of students: those remaining in the public sector from grades 3 through 9, compared with those who remain in the private sector across this period, or shift to the private sector as they start secondary school. Despite the differences in student background, the study found that students in both school sectors had similar growth trajectories in reading and numeracy from grade 3 through 9.
As the study noted, this provides evidence that private schools do not add value relative to public schools. The higher achievement of students in private schools in raw scores is dependent on the characteristics of the students who select into the schools, rather than any advantageous feature of the school sector learning environment.
The study further notes that the results highlight old questions about the utility of persistently high levels of taxpayer funding of private schools in Australia.
“If private schools do not “value add” in terms of improving achievement in basic skills testing and tend to increase segregation based on student background and family socioeconomic status, some serious policy questions need to be asked about school funding structures.” [p.28]
The study also concluded that prior achievement is by far the largest predictor of student results in public and private schools, even more than socioeconomic background. Inclusion of prior achievement in NAPLAN is intended as a measure of student ability.
However, as a recent study has shown, this approach to analysing student and school results is fundamentally flawed. Prior achievement of students is also affected by student and school background characteristics and other factors such as school resources, parental involvement and teaching practices. Inclusion of prior achievement as a variable dilutes or removes the effects of such factors.
This is demonstrated clearly by comparing the results of two analyses conducted by the new study. The analysis discussed above shows a significant effect of student background on NAPLAN results. However, when prior achievement is included in the analysis, the influence of student background is much reduced.
The study also adds weight to the large volume of evidence from overseas and Australian studies demonstrating that public schools do as well as, or better than, private schools. For example, the OECD report on the 2018 PISA tests found that student achievement in public schools in OECD countries was higher than in private schools [p. 158].
The Australian PISA 2018 report found no difference in student results in reading and science between public, Catholic and Independent schools after taking account of differences in student and school socioeconomic background [pp. 55, 198]. Public school students achieved higher results in mathematics than Catholic school students [p. 135].
Thus, public schools in Australia do as well as private schools despite having far fewer human and material resources than private schools and being disadvantaged by government funding policies that have heavily favoured private schools. It all suggests that private schools are less efficient than public schools in using their resources.
Trevor Cobbold is National Convenor of Save Our Schools.
Comments
20 responses to “Public schools are as good as private schools”
There should be more scholarships for bright children to escape the working classes. Intermarriage with the owning classes is vital to keep the owning classes ahead of those who want to take away all the expensive toys
The drugs passed around are far better in fee paying schools.
The pupils are prettier and speak louder on the public transport used by them, if Daddy can’t afford a driver …
Those who exploit others feel more comfortable mixing with those who will help them to … exploit others.
Facts? I don wan no stinkin’ facks!
It is reassuring to see reliable evidence about the quality of education that is provided in Australia’s public schools. I agree with those who believe that the huge sums of money that has been poured into the private education sector has led to an over supply of schools.
This money could have been better spent on the provision of more effective education for those with special needs, enhancing curriculum diversity and maintaining a healthy technical and further education system which has been allowed to run down by both LNP and ALP governments.
I think it is understandable that during the early British occupation of Australia that Irish and Catholic settlers sought to have their own education system yo avoid the discrimination from the English elite that occurred at the time. However, that is no longer a factor and we need to change the present situation for the overall benefit of our national education system.
Over the years, I have asked many parents why they chose private and expensive schools for their children. The most consistent response I have received is that having an “old school tie” makes it easier for obtaining a job! Using elitism is a very poor way to determine who should win a positi0n. Surely fairness in the selection process and the future effectiveness of organisations should dictate that positions should go to those with the best qualifications and attributes to perform the assigned tasks.
Families, less than a million of them, own much of the world. The desire to preen, to assert, to own and dominate means wealth is passed on to those who may not be able to keep it.
These families control politicians and keep them as temporary pets.
What’s not discussed is the Australian PISA results have been going down overall in all 3 categories every time it’s taken, ever since inception. In the mean time, public school system tells their pupils they are “special” (as useful debt serfs perhaps?) while the private elite system dishes out more homework than ever and people still wonder why the wealth gap.
What’s not discussed is the Australian PISA results have been going down overall in all 3 categories every time it’s taken, ever since inception. In the mean time, public school system tells their pupils they are “special” (as useful debt serfs perhaps?) while the private elite system dishes out more homework than ever and people still wonder why the wealth gap.
What’s not discussed is the Australian PISA results have been going down overall in all 3 categories every time it’s taken, ever since inception. In the mean time, public school system tells their pupils they are “special” (as useful debt serfs perhaps?) while the private elite system dishes out more homework than ever and people still wonder why the wealth gap.
There are three kinds of schools in Australia: privileged private schools, public schools, and ordinary non-government schools. The majority of non-government schools are Catholic and they are like public schools; similar results, infrastructure, class sizes, and teachers.
There will always be privileged private schools because some parents want them. I too detest the extravagance of some of these schools.
Catholic non-government schools exist because in the 19th century Pius IX condemned state education and the bishops used them to build the Catholic community. Many of these schools were very inadequate. The fights about state aid in the 1960s were ordinary Catholics wanting adequate schools. Parents who choose these schools they have the right to have their taxes helping to fund them.
Graham, I think you have tried to fold too many ideas into your final paragraph at the expense of your intended impact. For example, your last sentence, left unchallenged, provides a warrant for parents to support the school of their choice – regardless of the school’s fee structure and endowments.
Secondly, the network of Catholic Schools, under their Diocesan, State and Federal agencies have done little to witness to their espoused values when it comes to seeking to guard their share of the Government Funding cake and have applied some highly questionable modes of sharing the proceeds within their system. Trevor C, in seeking to defend Government schools, has done much to bring some of these nefarious practices into the open.
Well said Graham,
Australian Catholic Educators need to work hard to change the perception, now quite strongly rooted in many parts of Australia, both inside and outside diocesan-system Catholic school communities, that they are in any way “private” schools. Australian Catholic parish schools and regional colleges have become diocesan “systems” in recent decades. Whether decentralised (till about 1980) or systemically centralised, these schools had and have a “public role”. They have “not come into being as a private initiative … but … having by its very nature a public character.” (Vatican: “Catholic Schools on the Threshold of the Third Millennium”, 1997). As for “private” non-systemic Catholic schools, they need to be alert lest they give “counter-witness by admitting a majority of children from wealthier families”. (Vatican: “The Catholic School”, 1977)
In the context of Australian education your usage of the words public and private would suggest that we are discussing these issues in an Alice in Wonderland bubble “…’The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things.’ The ineradicable beginning of this discussion is the Australian Constitution’s comments on public education and the 1981 decision of the High Court: whether Catholic education continues on its Federally funded way will largely be determined by Catholic Systems remembering that government monies have been provided for educational purposes not in any way to fund a religion and its particular purposes. Making playful comments about church schools having a “public role” is flirting with challenge to the prevailing High Court ruling.
Bill, I completely agree with you. There was no “playful” or deceptive intention about my mentioning the fact that Church teaching is that its schools are to consider themselves public institutions. It’s something that many of those who work in Australian Catholic schools and many of those who send their children to those schools need to learn and often bring to mind
Gerard – I appreciate your loyalty to the sources you quote: the problem is that Catholic Education Authorities in Aus have become adept at flying various flags of convenience – at times the “counterpart” of low resourced state schools and at other times a co- conspirator with the entire independent education sector when dollars and procedural issues like employment policies are being haggled over.
It is worth noting that in the lead-up to the DOGS High Court hearings there was a nuanced discussion within Catholic Education leaders as to tactics: one serious option was to walk away from education if we couldn’t afford to go it alone: the UK experience of Government funding had a 25 year head start on Aus and revealed a lot of unintended and undesirable consequences . In the mid 90’s I had the chance to discuss these concerns with Derek Warlock and Basil Hume, while they were both still heading the English hierarchy to hear their retrospective thoughts – and the ledger was far from one sided. From within Aus Catholic circles there is a place to review whether the education project should be continued in its current format and unlike the UK model, the basis of Government funding in Aus is only one High Court challenge away from being called into question – so knowing why we are doing something and how well we are doing it is an issue whose time is drawing nigh.
If the money and services which the government and others poured into the private education sector were to be diverted into the far more efficient public education system then our society might progress at a faster rate than the creeping pace at which it currently proceeds.
But, to quote an infamous statement by a sitting UK Prime Minister: “There is no such thing as a society…”
Such are the empathy voided minds of Conservative
thinkersbelievers.Private schools are all about exclusivity and privilege. Fair enough, but why do they grab the largest share of PUBLIC money? Why do we, the public, subsidise THEIR private privilege?
Baby, they own the pollies! Not to exploit them would be a waste!
Sorry, I disagree. I would argue that Public Schools are better. They may be equal on academic performance but as far as social inclusion is concerned public schools outperform the private sector. Public schools give students a better insight into the sort of society in which they will live and work.
…like the “Not what you know, but who you know” revolving doors of priviledge and networking, you mean?
Corruption at its most fundamental.
Feudalism writ large.
Social snobbery exemplified.
A ‘meritocracy’ devoid of demonstrable merit.
Yes, oiks need to know their place and be happy with that