the stupidity of the s. happens incident!!, page-13

Hi Davomagic

Re; " ... I think the socialists are frankly terrified the indonesians or other areas will come up with a better educational model and out compete Australia in terms of teaching methods and effectiveness in the same way China is beating US and the Aus retail sector. So IMO they are attempting to influence a power structure with religious foundations with a my socialist leaning to maintain the power structure. ..."

IMO we need to acknoweldge just how important our education industry has become to Australia and just how good it became despite the massive level of public underfunding of government schools - it was our third greatest export earner until %$#@ hit the Indian student fan. I can boast that a mate of mine pioneered online tertiary learning up to PHd level in Australia only to see it become 'normal practice'.

IMO the opportunities for Australia to lead the world in education delivery are very real and incredibly exciting - we have the people and the expertise! Of course it will require support and understanding [chance there for a bit of polly vision]- IMO the NBN is a pre-requisite for example [we will need whatever competitive edge we can get since education no longer respects boundaries].

IMO real interpersonal interactions [as in large group & physically] should never be allowed to be replaced by online, individual based systems of learning. Although Australia's 'School of the Air' has provided fantastic support to students the model is not mainstream and requires physical contact as well. IMO clinical, ostracised based learning will lead to a serious loss of understanding, to intolerance, to alienation and therefore to discrimination, violence and terrorism.

As for the teacher unions, relax mate! As a retired government school Principal I can assure you they are struggling for relevance and no longer have any hair on their chest - oops, sorry [to quote a Clarksonism]! They have long since lost rights to the innovative learning methodology they so effectively sponsored in the 1970s. IMO it seems the only real role unions still play is to sift out loyal hacks for progression into the Labor Party.