Auditor-General inquiry needed into 'My School'

The Shadow Education Minister, Christopher Pyne, has written to the Auditor-General today seeking an inquiry into the 'My School' website, including an examination of the index used to classify schools based on their socio-economic status, and the reporting of financial information.

"The Coalition has been hearing reports of serious anomalies with the ranking system and reporting of financial information," Mr Pyne said.

"When tiny schools in remote areas are being ranked in the same category as the nation's top schools and when the reported income of some schools has been falsely inflated by millions of dollars it is pretty clear that serious problems exist," he said.

The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and Education Minister, Peter Garrett, announced this suite of changes to the 'My School' website just two weeks ago, with great fanfare.

Then last week in a humiliating back-down Schools Minister Peter Garrett was forced to dump the revised website until next year, with no set date for the re-launch.

The new version of 'My School', dubbed 'My School 2.0' by the Government, lasted just 2.0 weeks.

"We can chalk up another bungle for Mr Garrett, and another education bungle for the Gillard Government to add to the national curriculum, the school hall program, the computers in schools program and the trades training centres program," Mr Pyne said.

December 6, 2010

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