You cannot make this stuff up. And for those who think that Yes Prime Minister is a comedy, rather than a documentary consider this.
The Commonwealth Department of Education does not run school or one university. Students are other people’s problem. The job of the department, in their own words:
We provide strategic direction and national leadership of Australia’s education system – through early years, school, higher education and research.
We advise the Australian Government on education.
We steward the government’s vision for reforming Australia’s education system.
Steward. Isn’t that a nice word.
So having provided strategic direction and national leadership, how is their performance going. Let’s go to the scoreboard:
Down. Down. Down. Like a Coles ad.
Meanwhile, not running 1 school or 1 university, the operating costs of the department are $325 million per annum:
And 1401 people work for the department. At an average cost of $133K each.
And the Department Secretary on an $800K or so annual package. Nice.
Federal Education Department secretary Tony Cook yesterday apologised for a $12,637 bill racked up by public servants who booked high-end restaurants to host work meetings.
He revealed the bills – including $1209 charged by 10 staffers meeting at the one-hat Courgette Restaurant in Canberra – to a Senate estimates hearing yesterday.
Anyone getting sanctioned? Anyone repaying money. Hell no. This is not the private sector. It’s public money and they are public servants. Off course they can spend as they like.
Just pathetic. But we all need to pay more taxes because children, education, productivity.
Bollocks. #SHUTITDOWN.
Commonweath government education department is only one of many that are surplus to the needs of the country. Commonwealth government should concentrate on foreign affairs, defense and immigration.
Ideal Federal Policy for Health and Education: vacate field/funding.
Full stop.
Cheers