Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Tables
- List of Acronyms
- Preface
- 1 Introduction
- Part I The Modern Citizen 1960–1975
- Part II The Anti-citizen 1975–1990
- Part III The Economic Citizen 1985–1995
- 7 Education and national economic reconstruction
- 8 Participation and equity
- 9 Economic government in education
- Part IV The Multi-citizen 1990–
- References
- Index
9 - Economic government in education
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Tables
- List of Acronyms
- Preface
- 1 Introduction
- Part I The Modern Citizen 1960–1975
- Part II The Anti-citizen 1975–1990
- Part III The Economic Citizen 1985–1995
- 7 Education and national economic reconstruction
- 8 Participation and equity
- 9 Economic government in education
- Part IV The Multi-citizen 1990–
- References
- Index
Summary
‘At first glance, it might seem that where a State provides more staff per unit of service, there is a prima facie case for saying that this reflects a policy decision to provide a higher quality service. On the other hand, it can be argued that a State that is providing the same service with fewer staff per unit of service is operating more efficiently. Drawing on public choice theory, we have started from the assumption that, unless there is evidence to the contrary, high staffing ratios do not provide a better quality service and are a reflection of other factors, such as vote “buying” of public sector unions and other similar pressure groups or attempts to minimise potential vote losses from similar groups by politicians.’
Institute of Public Affairs, ‘Efficiency of States' spending’, in Economic Planning Advisory Council (EPAC), in Background papers on the public sector, Background Paper Number 7, EPAC, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1990, p. 2.Prelude: Voices in the air (1987 and 1992)
In 1987 the Monash University Centre for Policy Studies published Spending and taxing, a market liberal blueprint for the reform of government, funded by the business-based National Priorities Project. Chapter 7, on education, was prepared by economist Ross Parish.
Parish stated that while spending on government education had risen, its standards and quality were declining and teachers were not accountable. For this reason many parents were transferring their children to the private schools. Smaller classes and student-teacher ratios suited teachers, but did not necessarily improve students' education.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Educating AustraliaGovernment, Economy and Citizen since 1960, pp. 207 - 242Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1997