Labour is at it again

Yesterday's Australian announced: "Labor will call for an 'education revolution' to deliver the next wave of economic reform, arguing that investment in human capital will revive Australia's faltering productivity" (Page 1). The Sydney Morning Herald quotes Opposition leader Kevin Rudd as saying: "There is now incontrovertible evidence that education should be understood as an economic investment" (SMH, Tuesday 23 January 2007, Page 1). By education, the Australian Labour Party (ALP) means - as was made clear recently (see previous post) - "early childhood education", through preschools, primary schools, high schools and universities and other tertiary institutions. Two things to note. First, what is at stake is competition with other countries. Second, the solution to the perceived decline is investment of huge amounts of money.

I really don't know what to say to all this. When the leader of a major party - one who is very likely to be the next Prime Minister - can use this kind of language to talk about education, without anyone even noticing the murder of the English language (not to mention the likely murder of millions of innocent souls when such thinking is put into practice) then we are lost I'm afraid. The point is not - and I wish I didn't need to say this - that education does not have, as one of its many functions, the provision of skills, knowledge and understanding that individuals can use for a variety of purposes, including economic ones. The point is that, in speaking this way, Mr Rudd has defined education in such a narrow way as to transform it into a mockery of itself. Enough. If you have read this far I urge you to obtain a copy of a book, written by John Dewey and first published in 1916, called "Democracy and education". I find the ALP's descent into mumbo-jumbo depressing. Yet, what alternative do Australians have? It will be difficult to vote in the coming elections I'm afraid.