OZschwitz: Victoria schools ranked in secret study

THE State Government has been secretly ranking every school from best to worst, prompting fears Victoria is shifting towards a system of league-style tables.

Education Minister Bronwyn Pike's department has been conducting the study to identify schools that are "at the absolute bottom of the pile", as part of a broader push to direct resources where they are needed most and make schools more accountable for their results.

But the exercise has sparked concerns that the Government is departing from its long-standing opposition to league tables comparing school results, as the Federal Government demands the states be more transparent about their education systems.

Premier John Brumby last week said league tables were "something we've not supported in the past, not because we don't want parents to have more information but because measuring these things is exceedingly difficult".

Yesterday Ms Pike's spokesman insisted the Government would provide families "with rich data to help better inform their education choices", but it would not publicly provide the information in the form of school-by-school rankings.

Senior education officials have told The Age that the department has measured each school from best to worst across four categories, with the bottom 25% earmarked for immediate Government intervention.

It is believed schools were initially ranked on raw data — such as VCE results and retention rates — but the department is now trying to take into account socioeconomic factors and the extent to which schools "add value" to their students.

Principals and teachers yesterday agreed the neediest schools should be identified so resources can be better targeted. But Australian Education Union state president Mary Bluett said she would oppose any moves to make the information publicly available.

"It would serve no purpose whatsoever, other than debilitate the schools that are already struggling," she said.

Brian Burgess, president of the Victorian Association of State Secondary Principals, agreed. He said schools should not be measured on academic data alone, as this would not provide a clear picture of why their students faced difficulties.

Ms Pike's spokesman said tougher measures to boost results were flagged in the Government's education blueprint, released last week. "We make no apologies to act decisively to provide the support and the incentives to help some of our schools improve their academic performance," he said.

The Age believes the bottom group of schools will be given support, such as financial incentives to attract top principals and teachers, or literacy and numeracy strike teams.

The Government is also set to announce more than 60 new "regional network leaders", who will oversee about 20 schools in a designated region and set ambitious targets for them.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd recently demanded that the states take tough action against failing schools, sacking principals and teachers and even closing sub-standard schools, as a condition of the next four-year schools funding deal, which begins next year.

LNK

OZschwitz: Victoria schools ranked in secret study

OZschwitz: Victoria schools ranked in secret study

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