Private take-over foiled by campaign

The planned takeover of Oatley campus, a public teacher training 
facility in Sydney's south-west, by an elite private school has been 
foiled.

According to reports in the media, Minister for Education John Aquilina, 
has said that the sale of Oatley campus to Trinity Grammar will not go 
ahead.

Lobby group POPE (Promotion Of Public Education) said, "The sting in the 
tail of Aquilina's announcement is the suggestion that the site will become 
a multi-purpose educational facility ... POPE is currently seeking more 
details of what this actually means, and of course we reserve our judgement 
as to the kind of recipe Aquilina may ultimately compose at Oatley — 
nevertheless the point remains that an elite private school has been denied 
a plum in the middle of Public Education heartland."

The victory against Trinity Grammar's take over followed a strong community 
campaign. POPE organised prominent demonstrations, got media coverage in 
the local paper, and composed a petition and letter for lobbying the 
Minister and demanded a meeting with him.

POPE believes the State Labor Government was also reacting to the public 
outcry against the Federal Government's blatant bankrolling of private 
schools.

The Federal Government's Enrolment Benchmark Adjustment (EBA) handed 
private schools an extra $800 per private school pupil, but only $100 extra 
per public school pupil.

Aquilina was forced into this backdown, but the agenda of both Liberal and 
Labor Governments to give the private sector more fingers in the public pie 
remains.