The Communist Party of Australia supports an education system which promotes collective and democratic values, co-operation not individualism, equality not discrimination, multiculturalism not racism, and the ideals of peace and progress.
The guiding principle and aim of the education system must be the provision of free, universal and secular public education for all children from pre-school right through to post-secondary, to produce a highly educated and cultured society. Education involves much more than passing numeracy and literacy tests. It is about the full development of human potential, equipping people for life as well as preparing them for further studies or work.
Education is a basic human right not a privilege for those who can afford it. Australia has the wealth to be able to provide every child with a quality education. This applies to all levels of education and to lifelong access to education and re-education such as workers attempting to upgrade or develop new skills The CPA puts forward following policy measures:
- Increased funding for teaching and non-teaching staff, for the building and maintenance of classrooms and other school facilities, and the purchase of resources.
- Phasing out of state aid to non-government schools.
- Removal of the MySchool website.
- All teaching and non-teaching staff employed centrally by education departments on a permanent basis for ongoing work. The education system needs democratisation not privatisation.
- No voucher system, the CPA believes there is no place for class-based choice or competition in education.
- The CPA calls for the abolition of fees in public educational institutions at all levels. Public education and apprenticeship programs must be properly funded and subsidies to private institutions phased out.
- Universal student unionism and former student services restored, in particular, subsidised childcare.