My School Anger

By Mitchell Sutton, 2 April 2011

A little over a year on from the release of the Federal Government’s controversial My School website, local Catholic school principals are still not convinced that the criticisms that plagued the system in its first few months have been resolved.

Media furor over the website has died down recently, there is still widespread discontent about the accuracy and necessity of the website, especially in Catholic and independent school circles.

“It’s the sort of data parents are entitled to, but I don’t think it’s revolutionary for them,” Shaun Kenny, headmaster of a local high school in Fremantle claimed in a recent interview.

“The information’s accurate in a sense; the problem is that it’s limited.”

“You’re having one small snapshot to represent what goes on day in and day out,” claimed John Ryan, principal of Saint Patrick’s Primary School.

“I wouldn’t be basing what I read on a website for choosing a school for my own children.”

Earlier concerns that the system inaccurately portrayed the finances of some private schools also appears to remain unaddressed.

“Probably some of the more affluent independent schools have that concern and have more complex financial arrangements,” Mr Kenny stated.

“I think there are some school leaders who believe that their financial information is not accurately represented.”

The My School website was a Federal Government initiative backed by then Education Minister Julia Gillard designed to allow parents of school students to compare the performance and financial data of schools in their area.

There has been widespread criticism of the website from within the education community since its launch on January 28 last year, especially with regards to the financial data of private schools and concerns that the system unfairly stigmatised schools in low socio-economic areas.

In February this year the government declined to publish the financial details of some private schools, after allegations that the system miscalculated the amount of income that they used to pay off loans.

This put off the release of the much vaunted “My School 2.0” which was to contain much of this new financial information.

For some however, criticism seems more focused on the idea of school comparison itself.

“I think there are other factors that contribute to results,” Mr Ryan said.

“I would hate for a school to have a bad name even when they have brilliant programs and are doing a great job.”