Intelligence Squared Debates: Public Funding of Private Education is Unconscionable

The parents of students attending private schools pay taxes. So, why should their children be denied a share of the education dollar? Yet every dollar provided to a private school is a dollar not available to invest in public schools. Where should we invest public funds and according to what set of principles might we decide without prompting envy and division?

Speakers arguing for the proposition will be Chris Bonnor, retired secondary school principal and author; Beatrice Duong, one of Victoria’s top high school debaters; and well-known novelist Shane Maloney.

Speakers arguing against the proposition will be Dr Kevin Donnelly, one of Australia’s leading education commentators; Andrew Elder, Year 12 student at Scotch College; and Amanda Vanstone, former federal education minister.

Presenters

Chris Bonnor

Chris Bonnor AM is a retired secondary school principal and author.

Beatrice Duong

Beatrice Duong is a year 11 student at the John Monash Science School in Clayton.

Shane Maloney

Shane Maloney is one of Australia’s most popular novelists. He has been published in the UK, Germany, France, Britain, Japan, Finland and the US.

Andrew Elder

Andrew Elder is a Year 12 student at Scotch College.

Amanda Vanstone

Amanda Vanstone is a former senior Australian politician.

Kevin Donnelly

Dr Kevin Donnelly is one of Australia’s leading education commentators and author of Why Our Schools are Failing (2004), Dumbing Down (2007) and Australia’s Education Revolution (2009).