The Editor,
Re: "Stop $200 million private school subsidies," Letters, March 9.
As a graduate of a Catholic high school (mainly supported by a widowed mother who worked her butt off AND paid taxes); as a parent who chose to pay for his son to graduate from a Catholic high school; and as the father of a daughter who now teaches in a Catholic high school, I get sick and tired of hearing the whining from those who benefit from the monopolistic "public" education system and, out of the other side of their mouths, clamour for "choice" (when it benefits them).
In a system that actually delivers "choice" in how we educate our children, we would have a voucher system where 100 per cent of the cost of whichever educational system we choose would be covered by our "public" money.
The current 50 per cent funding grant for operating costs at least makes it manageable for families seeking a private option, irrespective of whether they're the Premier or a widow who chooses to do the right thing.
By the way, the $200 million Megan is grabbing for would only cover one tenth of the cost of the BCTF's outrageous demands, and if it meant that most private schools would shut down due to lack of operating dollars, it would mean an even more over-crowded "public" system.
Domenic Losito, Richmond
