Leaders say no to league tables

On Thursday 17 December, AEU members turned out in force to attend the ‘Stop League Tables’ rally at DECS in Flinders Street. The AEU organised a delegation of school leaders to meet with Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith on the critically important issue of the potential publication of league tables, the likely result of the ACARA My School website launch in late January. The delegation represented all sectors of schooling including metro and country and spent an hour talking with the Minister about the SA education profession’s concerns about league tables.

The Minister was presented with an over•sized version of the AEU’s recently released Charter of Accountability, along with a swathe of letters from school principals, governing councils and sub-branches. The letters formally requested that the Minister lobby her federal counterpart, Julia Gillard to put measures in place preventing the publication of league tables.

AEU delegate Peter Mader, Principal of Hamilton Secondary College, says that league tables will not give an accurate picture of school and student achievement.

“The whole notion of accountability is being able to tell your story, league tables are a narrow aggregation of data without that story,” he says.

AEU delegate Peta Kourbelis, Principal of Fremont Elizabeth High School, attended the rally at DECS and said that league tables will harm communities. “If kids see their school ranked toward the bottom of a league table it will harm their self-esteem and it may also effect their employment prospects. I also think parents will panic and take their kids out of a school that’s doing some fantastic work and has some fantastic programs.”

The AEU thanks all members who were able to attend the rally and all sub-branches that were able to send letters in at very short notice. If your site has not written to Minister Lomax Smith, please do so as soon as possible and fax a copy to the AEU on 8373 1254.

There are many more reasons why school leaders, teachers, parent organisations and academics are concerned about the publication of school league tables.  Go to our League Tables campaign page for more information.