What if you lived in Australia?

[Estreeter]

Originally Posted by Brecht

I went to a Catholic after school care center and can tell you that those nuns were totally insane. Luckily my parents pulled me out after a semester because of my excellent grades. I was probably motivated to work harder, so I could get the hell out of there.

You got pulled out for getting excellent grades

My dad pulled me out .... I was always getting in the shit, back then it was legal for teachers to use a belt for discipline .... and i got it frequently, all deserved, It got to the stage where Dad asked why is he paying for me to get belted at a private Catholic school when it could be done for free at a public school No joke, he just got sick of me always getting into trouble. didn't change much after I went to a public school. Getting into trouble was more fun in Catholic school as the penalties were heavier and the challenge more fun.

That all said, and only speaking of not just Catholic but any private schooling here, it's generally looked upon more favorably in future life should you get good grades. Having been through both systems, take away the Religous part, the private teachers just seemed to do a far better job overall, in fact I think i paid more attention in classes at Catholic school than public.

[Brecht]

Originally Posted by Estreeter

You got pulled out for getting excellent grades

My dad pulled me out .... I was always getting in the shit, back then it was legal for teachers to use a belt for discipline .... and i got it frequently, all deserved, It got to the stage where Dad asked why is he paying for me to get belted at a private Catholic school when it could be done for free at a public school No joke, he just got sick of me always getting into trouble. didn't change much after I went to a public school. Getting into trouble was more fun in Catholic school as the penalties were heavier and the challenge more fun.

That all said, and only speaking of not just Catholic but any private schooling here, it's generally looked upon more favorably in future life should you get good grades. Having been through both systems, take away the Religous part, the private teachers just seemed to do a far better job overall, in fact I think i paid more attention in classes at Catholic school than public.

The Catholic and Lutheran schools here are generally financed by the tax payer.

It may be true that private schools offer a better education in Australia or the US but this begs the question: why is the public education system worse or overall bad in those countries? If it is at all...

Our public schools in Austria are excellent. No need to waste money on private schools except you're super rich and want to keep your children away from the "rabble".

The reason my parents sent me to a Catholic after school care center (or Hort as we call it here) was because they were working until late and they wanted to make sure I did my homework in time. I also got a hot meal there and could do a lot of stuff after I was done with my homework. They had this old piano that looked like it was about to fall apart. I had a lot of fun with that thing. It probably fell apart because of me.

[Estreeter]

Originally Posted by Brecht

The Catholic and Lutheran schools here are generally financed by the tax payer.

So are ours, but it will be less in future, either way I see Government funding for any school, public and private as an investment into the countries future, my view is that there can never be enough funding given to both, of course the Government should give more to public first before funding private, but neither should miss out, after all it is about the kids and not politics.

[Brecht]

I understand what you mean. It's just that people in Europe have a different relationship to this question because our systems have worked out so fine. Also, public schools are a place of integration, cultural and social. I had many schoolmates who had very rich parents. Lawyers, rich businessmen, high-ranking officials, architects, you name it. They knew their children would get a very good education and didn't want to segregate them from the rest of society. It's different in the US for example where public schools are underfunded, so some people get the impression that public schools are generally bad.

I've noticed the same attitude toward public housing in America where they call them the "projects". It's said that those are the worst neighborhoods. Probably in America but in Austria, especially here in Vienna, those are the best apartments in the city.

[Sir Honkers]

There aren't enough education dollars to fund every school, so the private and religious ones should be at the bottom of the list. And I'm speaking as someone who put his kids through private school.
I'm for directing education funding to where it's most needed, starting with the most disadvantaged public schools and working up from there.
Education is the only way to overcome entrenched poverty and Australia is rich enough to give it's children the best possible schooling. That we don't, that we waste it giving precious dollars to Geelong Grammar and the like is down to ideology.

[Arturo2nd]

Originally Posted by trailmaster

Maybe things are different in Australia, but Catholic schools in America are the worst schools. The nuns beat the children with sticks and fill their heads with religious nonsense and a lot of Anti-Semitism!

Things have changed. I received an excellent education in Catholic schools here in California. Many of the nuns and brothers were first rate educators. Even the lay teachers were quite good. Students were only physically assaulted after great provocation.

Nowadays, few are moved to take the vows and devote their lives to serving others. Parochial schools often pay less than the public schools and fewer teachers are religious. So, education suffers. Charter schools with their necessity of returning a profit to the operators are similarly handicapped.

I don't remember any anti-Semitism. In fact, it was expressly condemned at the Catholic college where I got my B.A. Several of the gospels contain a great deal of a anti-Semitic propaganda.

I've always remembered a senior holding forth on the school bus during my sophomore year. "Lutheran kids go to Lutheran schools and come out Lutherans. Baptist kids go to Baptist schools and come out Baptists. Catholic kids go to Catholic schools and come out atheists." It is not true of course, many of my former classmates are practicing Catholics. Some are Buddhist or Protestant now. Some are "spiritual but not religious." A few are atheists or agnostics. That's what happens when you give people a high quality education. They think for themselves and make up their own minds.

[Dr Pepper]

Originally Posted by loosegoose

None of my kids went to Catholic School, nor any of my grandkids, but it's my understanding that nuns and brothers do not have a teaching role these days.
I went to Catholic School and my memories of the Christian Brothers is quite favourable. I had two who taught me that I kept in touch with for a number of years after I left school...nuns on the other hand. I was taught by them in Primary School and recall them all as being mad as cut snakes.

I echo those sentiments.....

[Dr Pepper]

Originally Posted by loosegoose

There aren't enough education dollars to fund every school, so the private and religious ones should be at the bottom of the list. And I'm speaking as someone who put his kids through private school.
I'm for directing education funding to where it's most needed, starting with the most disadvantaged public schools and working up from there.
Education is the only way to overcome entrenched poverty and Australia is rich enough to give it's children the best possible schooling. That we don't, that we waste it giving precious dollars to Geelong Grammar and the like is down to ideology.

Education and health are two areas of government spending where additional monies spent seems to yield very little tangible positive improvement-health in particular seems an endless pit to lose money in-and tertiary education not a lot better....

[Estreeter]

Originally Posted by loosegoose

Geelong Grammar

I wouldn't give Geelong Grammar a single cent ... Prince Charles was a student there for 3 months, let his kin take care of that place

[trailmaster]

Hiram Big, son of the late Mr.Big here. I informed the U.S. military bases stationed here in Australia and they inform me that it is their opinion that the baddies won't be back. They must have seen on their satellites how easily I dispatched their attack helicopters and their tanks. They will not be willing to spend more millions of dollars to come here, and they know that now all the military forces here are now alerted.

Hoooray, Hoooray. The battle for Quokka Terrace has been won and I can get back to my life of luxury. One thing is that the media got wind of this whole sordid affair and now I am getting no end of requests from Australian lovelies who want to get together with me. That's great. Now I can share my beautiful swimming pool with bikini clad women and maybe we can go back into the house for some nookie. I will never be alone.