Independent Schools Victoria (ISV) says it is backing a national campaign to protect the rights of parents and their children enrolled in Independent schools.
The campaign, launched on 27 February by Independent Schools Australia (ISA), aims to support an informed debate on education issues ahead of this year’s federal election.
It aims to ensure political candidates and the wider community are aware of the crucial role played by Independent schools, which educate more than 716,00 students across the country – more than 170,000 of them in 230 widely diverse Victorian Independent schools.
ISV Chief Executive Ms Rachel Holthouse said critics seek to pit one school sector and its students against another.
“We don’t presume to tell parents how to vote, but we do need politicians to know the facts about Independent schools, in an environment where divisive misinformation is deliberately spread by partisan critics of non-government schools.
“While this campaign seeks certainty of government funding for Independent schools, we believe all students in all schools, regardless of sector, deserve support.
“Supporting our young people is not a binary choice. Every child deserves a chance, and every child deserves a choice,” she said.
In support of the national School Choice Counts campaign, ISV will provide detailed information and campaign material to its member schools, inviting them to share it with tens of thousands of parents whose children are enrolled in Independent schools across the state.
This material includes advice for parents who want to contact their local member of parliament and other election candidates.
“This is a positive campaign that seeks to protect family choice and promote co-operation between school sectors,” Ms Holthouse said.
“It also challenges ideological critics to abandon tiresome and inflammatory rhetoric that unfairly characterises Independent schools and the children they educate.”
Visit https://schoolchoicecounts.isa.edu.au/ to see the full suite of policies and learn more.
