评论作者Farzam Zaher近日撰文论证，个人的教育成功源于公立学校教育本身的价值，而非尽管接受公立教育才取得成就[1]。Zaher本人是悉尼大学Dalyell奖学金获得者，曾就读于卧龙岗公立学校，17岁开始在金融服务行业工作，21岁时已成为悉尼大学临时讲师[1]。
澳大利亚公立学校面临招生压力。新南威尔士州公立学校入学率从疫情前的65%下降至62%，学生总数下降超过30,000人[1]。与此同时，一些顶级私立学校学费超过50万澳元，悉尼男子高中要求年度自愿捐款3,000澳元[1]。超过一半的澳大利亚总理就读私立或天主教学校[1]。
然而，2022年新英格兰大学的研究发现，当控制学生背景因素后，独立和天主教学校学生相比公立学校学生并无显著优势[1]。Zaher的观点是，学生的成功更多取决于家庭对教育的重视程度和个人态度，而非就读学校的类型[1]。
Farzam Zaher, a University of Sydney Dalyell Scholar who attended Wollongong public school, argues that public education in Australia provides quality outcomes comparable to private alternatives.[1] Zaher, who began working in financial services at age 17 and became a temporary lecturer at the University of Sydney by age 21, contends that student success stems from family educational values and personal determination rather than school type.[1]
The commentary comes as public school enrollment in New South Wales has declined from 65 percent before the pandemic to 62 percent, with total student numbers falling by more than 30,000.[1] Some elite private schools charge tuition exceeding $500,000, while Sydney Boys High School requests annual voluntary donations of $3,000.[1] A 2022 University of New England study found that when controlling for student background factors, independent and Catholic school students showed no significant advantages over their public school counterparts.[1] Over half of Australia's prime ministers attended private or Catholic schools.[1]
Zaher's perspective challenges the perception that private schooling is essential for achievement, emphasizing instead that family support and individual drive are decisive factors in educational and career success.