Public vs Private Education

Madeleine Morris is a Melbourne-based reporter for ABC television’s 7.30. She was formerly a presenter for the BBC in London and reported from dozens of countries before returning to her native Australia. She is the author of Guilt-Free Bottle-Feeding: Why Your Formula-Fed Baby Can Grow Up To Be Happy, Healthy and Smart, published by Finch. 

David Zyngier is a senior lecturer in curriculum and pedagogy at Monash University. Previously, he was a teacher and school principal. 

His research has attracted significant funding and covers teacher pedagogies and beliefs and how they impact the learning and achievement of children from disadvantaged and marginalised communities. From 2016–2018, David will use the expertise and experience of Australia’s excellence in civics and citizenship education to assist in the development of a national Civics Education framework in Thailand as the country moves forward to full democracy.

His research focuses on pedagogies that engage students, with a focus on how these can improve outcomes for students from communities of disadvantage by looking at issues of social justice and social inclusion.

He regularly disseminates research through opinion pieces on educational issues through professional educational publications, mainstream newspapers, television, radio interviews and presentations to major educational organisations. He has provided expert evidence to the House of Representatives and Senate Committees on education. He has developed a widely recognised research reputation in education in issues related to student engagement and how teachers understand and practise democratic education. 

Lucy Clark is a journalist and editor with 31 years’ experience in newspapers and magazines in Sydney, London and New York. She was most recently the editor of the news and opinion website the Hoopla, and has worked as a literary editor, features writer and opinion columnist. She is now a senior editor at Guardian Australia. Her book Beautiful Failures: How the Quest for Success is Harming Our Kids was released 2016.

Elida Brereton is a teacher, school principal and educational consultant and leader. Brereton has spent 43 years as teacher, Assistant Principal and Principal in the Victorian government school system, with nearly 18 years as Principal – at Brentwood Secondary College (1993–1994) and at Camberwell High School (1994–2010).

She's a Fellow of the Australia Council of Educational Leaders, former National President and Fellow of the Australian College of Educators, Honorary Life Member of the Geography Teachers Association of Victoria and a Life Member of the Victorian State Secondary Principals' Association.

Brereton is a board member of Boroondara Cares, MLC Kew and ACCESS ministries, and a committee member of the National Centre Against Bullying (allied with the Alannah and Madeline Foundation). She was an educational consultant with the Australian Schools Commission (1975–8), Geography Consultant for South West Victoria ( 1974–76) , was seconded to the Faculty of Education of Monash University as method lecturer in the mid-1980s, represented government schools on the Board of Studies and chair of the Assessment Committee in the 1990s, was Ministerial nominee of the Committee which established the VIT ( including assessing all teacher-training/ pre-service courses in Victoria ).

She has been a member of the Latrobe University Expert Team reviewing their teacher-training courses ( 2009, 2015), and has worked with prospective female school leaders as a mentor for four years with the Eleanor Davis program. She has represented the Department of Education and/or Curriculum Corporation as an educational consultant in South Korea, China, Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates.