No flags, no cash, Australian PM tells schools

By GREG ANSLEY

CANBERRA - Prime Minister John Howard yesterday ordered all schools to fly the Australian flag, remove "political correctness" from new plain-language reports and ensure children exercise for at least two hours a week.

Howard stopped short of introducing the compulsory singing of the national anthem at the start of each school day, but said the idea was one that appealed to him.

Under Howard's new policy headmasters will also be given greater autonomy, but will become more accountable to their communities.

Schools that fail to meet these requirements will be cut off from the flow of A$31.5 billion ($34.5 billion) in federal funds announced before the May Budget.

Howard's blend of patriotism and back-to-basics schooling has been supported by Labor which, apart from disagreements over funding for private schools, shares his concerns on educational standards.

Announcing the policy with Education Minister Brendon Nelson, Howard rejected suggestions that the compulsory provision of a flagpole and the flying of the national flag was past its time.

"I don't think there is anything old-fashioned about the display of patriotic symbols," he said.

"The younger generation embrace those things far more, may I say with great respect, than people aged between 34 and 50.

"Thirty years ago I wouldn't have wandered the shores of Gallipoli with an Australian flag draped around my shoulders - but I tell you what, my children would, and many of their friends do."

The flag, physical exercise and stronger emphasis on values and civic responsibilities were the headline-catching conditions of a policy that reflects widespread public concerns about schooling in Australia.

Announced before an election in which education will be among the key issues, the new policy embraces Government, independent and Catholic schools and targets parents' frustrations and growing concern at childhood obesity.

If schools are to continue receiving federal subsidies they must introduce common starting ages, agree to greater national consistency in curriculum and testing standards in English, mathematics, science and civics, and implement new national strategies against classroom bullying and abuse.

A central condition will be the use of reports that measure students' performances against national benchmarks.

"We're sick and tired of reports turning up at home which are meaningless, with politically correct jargon that means nothing to parents," Nelson said.

"One of the requirements will be, for example, that student progress be reported in terms of which quartile in the class the student is placed, and also that at least two reports be delivered each year."

Nelson said the strongest support for better reporting had come from Aboriginal communities in regional Australia.

"They've found, much to their great distress, that when their kids get to 12 or 13, having had reports they can't understand but think are okay, they find their children are barely literate."

Schools would also be required to inform their communities of their performance against national benchmarks in literacy and numeracy, the attendance rates of teachers and students, and teachers' retention rates.

Teachers would also be subject to reviews of their level of continued training and the way in which their day-to-day behaviour in the classroom reflected school values of responsibility, respect, caring and compassion.

These values must be drawn up in consultation with local communities under a new national values framework and must focus on building resilience in children and on civics and civic responsibilities.