Paper presented at the annual conference of the Australian Association for Research in Education, Melbourne, 30^th November 1999

The study presented in this paper identified public perceptions in four key areas related to education: first, the extent to which public support exists for a range of possible objectives of schooling; second, Australian public opinion on the performance of schools and teachers; third, community views on the levels and sources of funding for government schools; and fourth, the relative levels of influence of a range of sources of information about schools and their performance. A national telephone survey of 1213 adult Australians, conducted at the University of Tasmania in mid-1999, revealed broad public agreement with six suggested objectives of schooling; public perceptions of schools and teachers as performing moderately well; support for increased funding for government schools; and revealed personal contacts and experience as the most influential sources of information about schools and school performance.

In this paper we begin by examining the uses of public opinion polling on educational issues and look at the findings obtained in the key studies undertaken to date in The United States of America, Great Britain, Canada and Australia. We move on to describe the development and implementation in 1999 of a major poll of the attitudes of the Australian public towards schools, their performance and other matters of interest to those involved with education. We conclude with a call for the establishment of an annual Australian poll on these issues.

Public opinion polls in the field of education have been undertaken overseas on a regular basis for over 30 years. In the United States of America the Annual Phi Delta Kappa / Gallup Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Towards Schools (PDK) was developed originally so that data related to the public’s attitudes towards schools and education could be generated, allowing those making educational decisions to have access to current information (Rose & Gallup, 1998). While this was the primary purpose of the poll, a second intention was to provide an avenue through which the public could be informed about their schools because, in a democratic society, "the public schools are dependent on an informed and supportive public" (Rose & Gallup, 1998, p. 55). The PDK poll has been conducted annually since 1968, using telephone surveys of approximately 1200 adults as the method of data collection since 1993.

In Canada, the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) has conducted public opinion polls every two years since 1978. The OISE survey is one of the only regular, publicly disseminated surveys of public attitudes towards schools and education in Canada (Livingstone, Hart & Davis, 1996). The OISE survey is administered to a sample of 1000 adults over the age of 18 years using telephone surveys. The issues that are examined in the OISE survey include: education and work; educational funding; curriculum issues and computer literacy (Livingstone et al, 1996).

The British Social Attitudes Report, conducted with a representative probability sample of 1700 adults over the age of 18 through face to face interviews, was conducted by Jowell and Airey in 1984. The issues examined in the education component of the survey included: educational funding; school improvement; state and private schooling; education standards; higher education; cultural diversity in schools; and the publication of examination results (Jowell & Airey, 1984).

The polling of the Australian public in relation to schools and education is still in its formative years. Of the studies conducted in Australia, none have been conducted on a regular or periodic basis. Given that over five million Australians are directly involved in education, either as workers or as students, the burgeoning of public interest in schools at the end of the century reflects a marked change from a past characterised by minimal direct community involvement in Australian education.

The precursor to public opinion research which focused on attitudes towards schools and education in Australia was undertaken by Baumgart (1979) in which a random sample of 1341 citizens of New South Wales were surveyed with the intention of gathering benchmark data related to the public’s attitudes towards schools in the state (Baumgart, 1979). The questionnaire used in the study examined six main issues: objectives of schooling; school performance; educational funding; knowledge of schools; problems facing schools; and curriculum issues were addressed. A range of demographic questions were also included in the questionnaire to facilitate the analysis of responses provided by sub-groups of the population (Baumgart, 1979).

As part of a process aimed at the development of an annual survey that could be used in Australia to measure and record the public’s attitudes to schools and education Harrison (1996) was part of a group in the Faculty of Education at the University of Tasmania that developed the Australian Attitudes Towards Schools and Education questionnaire (ATASE), with the PDK poll as its basis.

The study reported in this paper aimed to take the next step in the process of examining public opinion on educational issues in Australia, through refining the interview schedule and establishing a set of baseline data with which future trends in opinion might be compared.

Public opinion polls, Mulford and Myhill (1999) suggest, may assist a community to analyse itself. This analysis can lead to an understanding of the range of views in relation to schools and education in Australia (Asher, 1995; Bogart, 1985).

Public opinion polls also provide an avenue through which the public are able to express their opinion on a variety of educational issues, allowing the foundation to be laid for genuine public engagement in educational decision making and public policy formation (Tacheny, 1997; Livingstone et al, 1996). Schooling and education are conducted in an environment which has become increasingly public and political in nature (Tacheny, 1997). Public opinion polls then provide an opportunity for the will of stakeholders to be collected, analysed and interpreted (Asher, 1995). Thus, the data can be used as "intelligence" by policy makers (Tacheny, 1997; Bogart, 1985).

Public opinion poll data is not only useful in informing educational decision making and policy making directly, it facilitates the evaluation of other forms of information: letters, phone calls, and lobbying from pressure groups and stakeholders (Tacheny, 1997). Thus, public opinion polling allows the education sector to be more publicly accountable by identifying public aspirations more precisely (Mulford, Myhill, a’Court & Harrison, 1997; Baumgart, 1979).

The call for the implementation for an annual nationwide poll in Australia was first made in 1979 by Baumgart. The same call has been reiterated by Mulford et al (1997), but to date such a poll has not been established. It is intended that the current study will provide benchmark data on the public’s perception of education in Australia and to provide a framework on which an annual Australian poll may be based. The study addressed four research questions:

• To what extent do Australians express support for a range of different objectives of schooling?
• How do Australians rate the performance of schools?
• What are Australians’ views on the levels and sources of government school funding?
• How influential are a range of sources of information about schools and their performance?

The brief outline of the key literature which is presented here is organised around the areas addressed by the four research questions: objectives of schooling; performance of schools and teachers; funding of government schools; and influence of sources of information about schooling. The focus is on the major studies conducted in the USA (Rose & Gallup, 1998, 1999), in Canada (Livingstone et al, 1996), in Britain (Jowell & Airey, 1984) and in Australia (a'Court, 1996; Baumgart, 1979).

• Objectives of Schooling

One set of the literature on public perceptions of education focuses on the level of support that members of western societies have expressed for specific objectives of schooling, including: preparation for employment; citizenship; literacy and numeracy skills; life-long learning and future education; and computing and technology skills. The level of support for a national curriculum has also been examined.

Preparing students for employment as an objective of schooling has been addressed in a number of studies (Rose & Gallup, 1998; a’Court, 1996; Baumgart, 1979) and was found to be perceived as important. Baumgart (1979) found that a vast majority of respondents in NSW (84%) disagreed that schools placed too much emphasis on preparation for jobs. The pilot study conducted by a’Court (1996) was consistent with Baumgart's findings, as she disclosed that a high percentage of school leavers getting jobs was perceived as being very important by a high proportion of her sample (88%) in Tasmania. Rose and Gallup (1998) found that the percentage of students who were able to secure employment after completing high school was considered to be very important by a majority of respondents (63%) in the USA.

The importance of citizenship as an objective of schooling has not been specifically examined in the literature. Rose and Gallup (1998) found that a significant proportion of their respondents (79%) perceived the percentage of students who practised good citizenship was a very important measure of school effectiveness. Baumgart (1979) developed the category of "Social Competence" in which citizenship was a component. It was found that respondents in NSW believed that it was of "moderate" importance for schools to be teaching this broad group of skills.

The development of literacy and numeracy skills was addressed in part by Baumgart (1979) who found that respondents assigned the highest levels of importance to the "Basic Skills" group of objectives, which included the development of literacy and numeracy skills as components. The teaching of basic skills was reported by participants as being an important objective of schooling in a study conducted by Jennings (1999). The term "basic skills" was described in several different ways across the forums that had been conducted, although reading, writing and mathematics were common elements within each (Jennings, 1999).

The importance of developing students’ skills and interest in life-long learning and future education have been addressed in some form both overseas and in Australia (Rose & Gallup, 1998; a’Court, 1996; Livingstone et al, 1996; Baumgart, 1979). In terms of participation in higher education, the percentage of students that went on to university was found to be considerably more important by Rose and Gallup (1998) in the USA, than by a’Court (1996) in Tasmania who found that only 42 percent of respondents assigned a high level of importance to this objective. The importance of future education was also addressed by Livingstone et al (1996) who found that a college or university education was considered to be very important by a high proportion (69%) of the respondents in Ontario. The importance of opportunities for life long learning and future education in Britain was examined by Jowell and Airey (1984) who found that less than half of the respondents (44%) felt that opportunities in Britain to go on to further education should be increased. Baumgart (1979) found that the NSW public were divided about the importance of preparing students for future education, as 46 percent of respondents agreed and 42 percent disagreed that too much emphasis was being placed on preparation for future education by schools.

A focus on the development of computing and technology skills has been recognised by the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (1998) who suggest that the greatest challenge facing education will be to invest wisely in the technological knowledge, skills and understanding of Australia’s young people. The development of skills and understandings in technology as an objective of schooling was first addressed by Baumgart in 1979. A large proportion of respondents (93%) indicated that developing students’ skills and understandings of technology was of "great" or "moderate" importance. More recently, a’Court (1996) found that technology, addressed in the form of computer use, was rated as being "very important" by the majority (76%) of respondents.

The level of public support for the implementation of a national curriculum was examined in Tasmania by a’Court (1996). A high percentage of respondents (57%) indicated that it was "very important" for schools to adopt a uniform curriculum in all states of Australia (a’Court, 1996).

• Performance of Schools and Teachers

The results from the 1998 and 1999 PDK polls (Rose & Gallup, 1999, 1998) illustrate the low level of support given to schools in general, reflected in the low percentage of respondents (18% in 1998 and 24% in 1999) who assigned high ratings to the performance of government schools across the nation as a whole in the USA. Livingstone et al (1996) asked respondents in Ontario whether they were satisfied with the nation’s schools. They found that half of the respondents were satisfied.

In contrast, schools with which respondents are familiar rated much more favourably in public opinion polls (Rose & Gallup, 1999, 1998; a’Court, 1996; Livingstone et al, 1996; Baumgart, 1979). Rose and Gallup (1999, 1998) found that when local government schools were rated, a higher percentage of respondents (49% in 1999 and 46% in 1998) assigned higher grades. Similar results were obtained by a’Court (1996). The school "known best" was investigated by Baumgart (1979) and ,unlike other polls, respondents were asked to rate the performance of both primary and secondary schools. A large proportion of respondents (66%) assigned ratings of "good" or "excellent" for the primary school "known best", although the percentage of respondents who assigned the same ratings of success for the secondary school "known best" was lower at 58 percent (Baumgart, 1979).

Similar results were revealed by Jennings (1999), who found that elementary schools were perceived to be more effective than secondary schools. It was also noted by Jennings (1999) that, respondents wanted to assign separate grades to elementary and secondary schools, resulting from a perception that elementary schools were more effective than secondary schools.

In the USA, the level of support assigned to the local government school that a respondent had a child attending was higher again (with 66% assigning "A" or "B" grades on a scale of A, B, C, D, Fail) than the level of support for local schools generally in the respondent’s community (Rose & Gallup, 1999).

The factors which influence the formation of attitudes towards schools are complex. In 1995, Elam and Rose found that local schools were perceived by the participants to be placing a greater emphasis on academic achievement than other schools in the state. Additional factors which received high levels of agreement from respondents included: better discipline and less crime and violence; fewer racial and ethnic disturbances involving students; and the perception that the teachers were of a better quality in local schools. One British study (Webster, Owen & Crome, 1993) concluded that school reputations were thought to be developed as a result of the bad behaviour of pupils (30%), views of other parents (18%), school discipline (18%), media reportage (16%) and word of mouth (13%), each of which may account for differences in the perceived levels of performance of government schools in general and local government schools.

In a study conducted by Recruiting New Teachers (1998) in the USA, respondents who had a child attending school were asked to rate the qualifications of teachers, both in their local school and schools in general. The majority of respondents (69%) indicated that teachers in local schools were either "highly" or "well" qualified. The perceived level of qualification of teachers in schools in the state diminished marginally.

In each of the major polls reviewed (Rose & Gallup, 1998; Livingstone et al, 1996; Baumgart, 1979), the issue of educational funding to government schools was examined. In the OISE survey, Livingstone et al (1996) found that nearly half of the respondents (48%) indicated that the level of government funding to government schools should be increased, while 34 percent of respondents indicated that the level of funding should be increased but only to keep up with inflation. Baumgart (1979) suggested that secondary and primary schools might expect fairly strong support for increased funding.

In the 1998 PDK poll participants were asked if they believed that the quality of the public schools was related to the amount of money spent on students in those schools. Half of the respondents (50%) indicated that they believed that the quality of the American public schools was related to the amount of money spent on the students in those schools (Rose & Gallup, 1998).

Studies in which the level of funding to government schools were addressed, supported the notion that funding to these schools should be increased. However, there were no clear findings of how increased funding of government schools could be achieved, although additional taxes or higher incomes taxes rated highly as responses.

• Influence of Sources of Information about Schooling

In New South Wales (Baumgart, 1979), fifty eight percent of respondents claimed that they knew either "a lot" or "fair amount" about schools while 35 percent indicated that they knew "very little" about schools with a further 6 percent of respondents suggesting that they did not know anything about schools. In the USA, (Rose & Gallup, 1998), seventy three percent of respondents indicated that they felt either "very well" informed or "fairly well" informed about schools (Rose & Gallup, 1998).

Baumgart (1979) asked respondents to indicate the amount of information that various sources of information provided about schools in NSW. The sources of information that were perceived as providing either a lot or a fair amount of information about schools were: school staff (39%), school newsletters (39%), and school functions (27%). Webster et al (1993) found a similar trend in the sources of information that were perceived by respondents in Bristol as being important sources of information. School open days (29%), parents’ evenings (25%), and school newsletters (17%) were perceived as influential sources of information.

Information provided by children was found to be one of the most influential sources of information about schools. Baumgart (1979) found that 52 percent of respondents rated children as providing high levels of information about schools in NSW. Information provided by children about schools was also said to be influential in Britain (Webster et al, 1993), where 69 percent of parents indicated that their child’s view of a school was very important.

While children are perceived as being influential sources of information about schools, several related sources of information other than schools are rated highly by respondents. Baumgart (1979) found that friends and relatives were seen by 39 percent of respondents as being an influential source of information. Webster et al (1993) found that 35 percent of respondents perceived friends as an influential source of information, as well as colleagues at work (19%) and other parents who had children at school (20%).

Baumgart (1979) found that the media did not provide a large amount of information about schools. Television reports were seen as being an influential source of information by 28 percent of respondents, while 47 percent of respondents indicated that both state and local newspapers provided some information.

In the USA, Drake found that respondents almost universally (97%) assigned low grades to schools in general. When asked why they had done so, respondents indicated that they had obtained their information from newspapers, magazines and television coverage (Drake, 1991). Schooling is an ‘easy target for its articulate critics in the media’ (Mulford, 1995, p. 261).

So, in conclusion, this brief outline of the key studies from the literature has revealed: widespread agreement that schools should pursue learning objectives in the areas of literacy, numeracy, information technology and citizenship; a trend in which respondents valued more highly the schools with which they had closer contact; consistent support for increased funding of government schools; and information from children as a particularly influential source of information about schooling. We now turn to the method employed, and the results obtained, from the survey of Australians' perceptions of schools and educational issues conducted in 1999 at the University of Tasmania.

For this research project, it was decided to use a telephone survey. There are four main advantages that telephone surveys brought to the study: greater coverage; cost efficiency; time efficiency; and the centrality of data collection. The telephone interviews involved the completion of 1213 surveys with a representative sample of the Australian public. The sample was selected using a stratified, list based, random sampling design. When the composition of the sample was compared with the Australian population, the sample was found to be broadly representative of the Australian population.

In interpreting the survey results, it should be remembered that all such surveys are subject to sampling error. The large size of the sample in this case allows us to estimate that the sampling errors for any percentages using the total sample as being between 2 and 4 percent, and for any subgroups of 1000 as being between 8 and 13 percent.

The Public Attitudes to Schools and Education (PATSE) telephone survey consisted of 40 items (Kelly, 1999), with respondents' opinions being recorded on three, four and five point scales.

• The Sample

While Random Digit Dialling (RDD) is a common and preferred method for developing a sampling pool for a representative sample (Lavrakas, 1993), a directory or list based method was selected to generate the sample pool used in this study. It was possible to use a random, stratified, list based method to generate a sampling pool that would enable the final sample to be representative of the Australian population for the following reasons: the White Pages on the Internet is updated six times per week and is, thus, both current and accurate;

And the number of possible respondents missing from the White Pages is not a concern, with 98 percent of Australian householders being telephone subscribers and only 5 percent of domestic subscribers are unlisted.

The composition of the sample is presented in Table 1 on the following page. The representativeness of the sample is confirmed by comparisons with census data (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 1999). The sample was representative of the Australian adult population in all categories, with the single (but admittedly, important) exception that the percentage of males was disproportionately low. It is not known why the method of list-based sampling, by telephone number, produced an over-representation of female respondents, although factors relating to the timing of the calls and the possibility of gender differences in the use of the telephone as a communication device would be worthy of future investigation.

Notes: Percentages may not total 100 due to rounding and omissions

* Those aged 0 - 14 have been omitted * * 5% still attending school

The response rates for this implementation of the PATSE telephone survey are presented in Table 2 on the following page, indicating the outcome of each telephone number dialled. In this regard, it should be noted that if the calls which were not answered, and those which were answered by machines, are deleted from the total telephone numbers dialled, 34.5 % of subscribers called participated in the study.

The survey was administered via telephone to 1213 Australians on three consecutive days (Friday 25 June 1999, Saturday 26th June 1999 and Sunday 27th June 1999) and then also on the 11th and 12th of July 1999.

In what follows, our results are organised around our four research questions. Some subsections examine specific subsidiary issues such as support for the National Curriculum, developments in literacy and numeracy and possible sources of funds for government schools.

Australians express firm levels of support for each of the possible objectives of schooling put to them. The respondents were asked in each case to indicate their agreement or disagreement (on a five-point scale) with a range of different objectives of schooling. The results for each of these items are shown in Table 3.

Key "SA/A" Strongly Agree and Agree responses combined

"N" Neither Agree nor Disagree responses

"D/SD" Disagree and Strongly Disagree responses combined

The level of support for each of the objectives of schooling was high. The firm levels of agreement for each of the six objectives is evident from the percentage of respondents who assigned "Strongly Agree" or "Agree", which for each objective exceeded 75 percent, indicating that Australians agree that schools should develop students’ skills and understandings in each of the areas investigated.

Responses on all six items reveal a high level of agreement for each of the objectives of schooling. However, the results of t-tests found that significantly lower levels of agreement (p = <.0001) were assigned to "Promote respect for indigenous peoples" as an objective of schooling when compared against the objectives: develop literacy/numeracy skills (t = 30.09); provide a basis for life-long learning (t = 20.44); prepare for role as citizens (t = 16.98); teach Australian history/geography (t = 13.03); and, provide career/work preparation

(t = 11.98). No data were gathered which might explain the significantly lower levels of agreement for the objective of promoting respect for indigenous peoples, but it may be that attempts at reconciliation have some way to go in this area.

Gender seems to have been a factor in the level of agreement that respondents assigned to each of the objectives of schooling. The objective "promote respect for indigenous people" received significantly higher levels of agreement from female respondents (f = 10.88, p = .001). Female respondents also assigned higher levels of agreement for "preparing students for their role as citizens" (f = 7.69, p = .006) and also "teaching Australian history and geography" (f = 15.78, p = <.0001) than male respondents. In the most cases, female respondents expressed higher levels of support for each of the objectives of schooling. Perhaps the generally higher levels of contact females have with schools contribute to these differences.

The level of support for the objectives of schooling: "develop literacy and numeracy skills" and "provide a basis for life-long learning and future education" appears be influenced by respondents’ level of education

(f = 7.03, p = .0009 and f = 14.00, p = <.0001 respectively). It appears that tertiary educated respondents value these aspects of education more highly than other respondents did.

The level of agreement for literacy and numeracy skills development as an objective of schooling is strong, receiving the highest percentage of responses in the "Strongly Agree" and "Agree" categories (98%). This high level of agreement is consistent with the findings of Baumgart (1979) and Jennings (1999) in which basic skills were key issues.

Overall, the few differences in the views of respondents in the eight demographic sub-groups indicates that a broad cross section of the Australian public support each of the objectives of schooling. It may well be, of course, that such apparently ready agreement with all the possible objectives suggested indicates that Australians are prepared to accept a wide range of objectives for schools, with not all of these being investigated here.

• The National Curriculum

Respondents were asked to indicate their agreement or disagreement (on a five-point scale) with the statement "All students in Australian schools should be taught the same things". The responses for this item are shown below in Table 4.

The responses for this issue reveal overall agreement with the notion of all students in Australian schools being taught the same things. The education level of respondents may be a factor in the level of support that respondents express for a national curriculum. There were significant differences (f = 31.91, p = <.0001) detected between the level of agreement assigned by tertiary educated respondents and those who had not progressed beyond grade ten and also respondents who had completed a secondary or TAFE qualification. The results obtained for this item reveal a decrease in the level of support for a national curriculum as the education level of the respondent increases, with tertiary educated respondents assigning the lowest levels of agreement. Again, no data were gathered which might explain this pattern of responses but, it may be that tertiary educated respondents have a better understanding of the theory behind a national curriculum or that they do not believe teaching all students in Australian schools the same things would be worthwhile, feeling instead that students in different geographic locations need to develop different types of knowledge, skills and understandings.

Australians perceive schools as being moderately successful in achieving each of the objectives of schooling investigated. Respondents were asked to indicate how well schools were performing (on a four-point scale) in achieving each of the six objectives of schooling. An additional objective of schooling, "computing/technology skills" was included in this section. The results for each of these items are presented in Table 5.

The responses for each of the seven items indicate, overall, that schools are perceived as successful in achieving each of the objectives of schooling. Schools were perceived as achieving significantly higher levels of success for developing "computing/technology skills" when compared to the level of success assigned to the other objectives of schooling including (at the p = <.0001 level): skills and interest in life-long learning

(t = 29.54); employment skills (t = 29.18); citizenship skills (t = 27.45); respect for indigenous peoples

(t = 23.02); literacy skills (t = 22.12); and numeracy skills (t = 20.71). The high level of achievement assigned to the development of computing and technology skills was similar to findings of a’Court (1996) in which computer use received the highest success ratings.

Key "VW/W" Very well and Well responses combined

"N" Neutral

"P/VP" Poorly and Very Poorly responses combined

The level of success that respondents assigned for the achievement of schools in developing students’ computing and technology skills seems to be influenced by the gender of the respondents. Female respondents assigned significantly higher levels of success (f = 12.03, p = .0005). The respondents’ level of education also a factor, with tertiary educated respondents assigning significantly lower levels of success (f = 7.88, p = .0004). The low levels of success assigned by tertiary educated respondents may be a case of "the more you know, the more that you realise there is to know".

Of particular interest is the level of success that schools are perceived to be having in achieving the objectives of literacy and numeracy skill development, especially given the related ongoing debate in the media. The results indicate that schools are seen as successful in developing students' literacy and numeracy skills. This is based on the 64 percent and 66 percent of respondents who assigned ratings of either "Strongly Agree" or "Agree" for the success that school were having in developing students’ literacy and numeracy skills respectively. These results differ somewhat from those obtained by Baumgart (1979) which indicated that schools were perceived to be having the highest levels of success in achieving the basic skills.

Further analysis indicated that those respondents who currently had children attending school assigned significantly higher levels of success (f = 22.31, p = <.0001) for schools in the development of students’ literacy and numeracy skills. Respondents who currently had children attending school may have had a better understanding of success in this area, being able to gauge the levels of success based on the literacy and numeracy development of their children. Respondents with a child attending a government school also assigned significantly higher levels of success (f = 18.64, p = <.0001) for achievement in developing students’ literacy and numeracy skills. Once again, no data was collected which may account for such difference but, it may be that the emphasis on literacy and numeracy in government schools has raised the public’s awareness, leading them to believe that schools are successful in this area.

• Literacy and Numeracy

Compared with the positive results for schools' level of success in achieving the goal of developing literacy and numeracy skills shown in Table 5, the public appear to be undecided as to whether literacy and numeracy levels are improving for most students. The respondents were asked to indicate their agreement or disagreement (on a five-point scale) with the statement "Literacy and numeracy standards are improving for most students". The responses for this item are presented in Table 6.

The responses for this item reveal divided opinion on the extent to which literacy and numeracy skill levels are improving in Australia, although respondents who currently had a child attending school assigned significantly higher levels of agreement (f = 32.12, p = <.0001). A possible reason for the divided opinion is that the public has no common benchmark against which literacy and numeracy improvement might be estimated.

• Performance of Schools and Teachers

The public seem to perceive both government and catholic and independent schools and teachers as performing well. In each case the respondents were asked to indicate their agreement or disagreement (on a five-point scale) with six statements, each of which ended with the phrase "... do a good job". The results for each of these items are shown in Table 7 on the following page.

The responses on the first four of these items reveal overall perceptions of schools across all categories, as "doing a good job". However, the local government primary school was perceived as performing well significantly more often than government schools generally (t = 11.61, p = <.0001) and the local government secondary school in particular (t = 10.54, p = <.0001). Nevertheless, each of these types of schools were seen by the public as "doing a good job" indicated by at least 50 percent of respondents assigning either "Strongly Agree" or "Agree" for the performance of these schools.

While catholic and independent schools were rated more highly than government schools in general (t = 7.95,

p = <.0001), there were no significant differences between the perception of the performance of teachers in government schools, on the one hand, and their non-government colleagues on the other.

The trend in which the local government school is perceived to be performing at a higher level than schools generally is consistent with the findings of studies conducted overseas and in Australia (Rose & Gallup, 1998; Livingstone et al, 1996; a’Court, 1996). Baumgart (1979) and Jennings (1999) also found that the local government primary school was perceived to be more effective than secondary schools. It may be that the public generalise from the problems reported by the media about one school to schools in general (Cannon & Barham, 1993), resulting in lower levels of agreement that the local secondary school was "doing a good job".

The level of agreement assigned to the performance of government schools in the state also appears to be influenced by the type of school that a respondent’s child attends. In each case, respondents who had a child attending a government school rated government schools significantly more highly than did respondents who had a child attending a non-government school. A mirror of this pattern occurred when respondents assigned a level of agreement for catholic and independent schools in the state as "doing a good job", with respondents who had a child attending a non-government school assigning higher ratings to the performance of catholic and independent schools.

The type of school that a respondent’s child attends may also be a factor on the level of agreement assigned by the public for teachers in government schools and teachers in catholic and independent schools "doing a good job". Respondents who have a child attending a government school assigned significantly higher levels of agreement for performance of government school teachers (f = 13.01, p = .0003) while, on the other hand, respondents with a child attending a non-government school assigned significantly higher levels of agreement for the performance of teachers in non-government schools (f = 34.34, p = <.0001).

The results obtained by Hughes and Collins (1983, cited in Mulford, 1995, p. 265) led them to conclude that the school known best receives the highest levels of support from the public. In this instance not only the level of support assigned to the school known best is higher, but also the teachers that are known best receive higher levels of support.

• What are Australians’ views on the levels and sources of government school funding?

Respondents claimed to support an increase in the level of funding for government schools. They were asked to indicate whether the current level of funding to government schools in their state should be increased, remain at current levels, or be reduced. The responses for this item are shown below in Table 8.

The percentage of respondents who supported an increase in the current level of funding to government schools is considerable (82%) but of greater interest is the finding that there were no respondents who indicated that the current level of funding to government schools should be reduced. This support for an increase in funding is consistent with the findings of a’Court (1996) and Livingstone et al (1996). One caveat, however, is that how the issue was canvassed may have influenced the extent or direction of such support, given that the question was asked in the context of a survey that focuses on education and schooling.

• Possible Sources of Additional Funding for Government Schools

The public appeared to express firm levels of agreement for using money from other government departments as a way in which an increase in the level of funding to government schools might be financed. Respondents were asked to indicate their agreement or disagreement (on a five-point scale) with five statements related to possible sources of additional funding to government schools. The results for each of these statements are shown in Table 9 on the following page.

(t = 24.91); reducing the level of funding to non-government schools (t = 15.36); and requiring more fundraising by school groups (t = 12.30).

In studies conducted overseas (Rose & Gallup, 1998; Livingstone et al, 1996) the preferred way through which an increase in the level of funding to government schools could be financed is through higher income taxes. A preparedness to accept paying higher income taxes was also found to exist in Tasmania (a’Court, 1996). On this occasion, however, paying higher income taxes received the lowest level of agreement.

The level of agreement for parents paying higher school fees as a possible way in which the level of funding to government schools might be increased was also low. The results indicate that the possibility of increasing school fees in this manner would be opposed, but perhaps not as strongly opposed by members of the public who currently have children attending school (p = 11.50, p = .0007).

The low levels of agreement assigned to paying higher income taxes and parents paying higher school fees reveal a pattern in which Australians support an increase in the level of funding to government schools, while preferring this increase to be financed through avenues which do not require additional personal expenditure.

Using money from other government departments received the highest levels of agreement as an extra source of funds, with 71 percent of respondents assigning either "Strongly Agree" or "Agree" ratings. While Australians might, in principle, support a shift in the level of funding to government departments with education receiving a greater proportion, it is possible that levels of support might decline if the departments to be cut (such as Defence, for example) were specified.

It is perhaps unsurprising that parents with children attending government schools are in favour of increasing funding for government schools by reducing funding allocated to independent schools. This result is, of course, starkly contradicted (f = 65.14, p = <.0001) by the views of parents with children attending non-government schools.

• How influential are a range of sources of information about schools and their performance?

The public seem to perceive sources of information from personal contacts and experience as more influential than other sources. The respondents were asked to rate (on a three-point scale) the influence of a range of different sources of information about schools and their performance. The results for each of the items are shown in Table 10.

Key "VI" = Very Influential "SI" = Of Some Influence "NI" = Of No Influence

The responses for each of the eight items reveal that information about schools and their performance received from a respondents own child’s experience at a school is perceived as being significantly more influential than information which is received from other sources, including (p = <.0001): television reports (t = 16.69); school functions (t = 15.79); newspaper reports (t = 13.42); school publications (t = 13.22); information from friends or neighbours (t = 8.79); school staff (t = 6.90); and to a lesser extent (t = 2.77, p = .006), even their own experience of a school.

These results are consistent with the findings of Webster et al (1993) and Baumgart (1979), in which respondents assigned the highest levels of influence to children’s experiences as a source of information about schooling. Perhaps children’s experiences of schools are perceived as being more credible than a respondent’s own experience of a school because the children have current and up-to-date experiences with the school, and perhaps also because parents respond strongly to their children’s experiences generally, including their experiences of a school.

The pattern of responses in which personal contacts as a source of information received higher influential ratings supports the results of Jennings (1999) who found that respondents used information obtained from students and teachers when forming decisions about schools. These findings also support the results of Katz and Lazarsfeld (1955, cited in Bem, 1970, p. 76) in which personal contacts were perceived to be more influential than other sources of information including the media. The levels of influence that were assigned to these personal contact sources are consistent with the findings of Baumgart (1979), indicating that the influence of sources of information do not change readily, given twenty years have passed since Baumgart’s study.

The media was not perceived as a very influential source of information by a high percentage of respondents, with television reports (14%) and newspaper reports (17%) receiving the lowest percentage of responses as "Very Influential" sources of information about schooling. These results confirm the view of Entman (1989) who suggests that the media should not be taken too seriously as there are other more influential sources of information about schools.

However, the level of influence assigned by respondents without a child currently attending school to the level of influence of television and newspaper reports was significantly higher (f = 20.89, p = <.0001) than that assigned by respondents with a child at school. This indicates that people without access to personal experience sources of information about schools are more reliant on information from the media. The results of Webster et al. (1993) also offer a partial explanation, as they found that 20 percent of parents indicated that they purposely ignored information about schools provided by the media.

It may be that schools are able to bring about a change in public perceptions of schools if they are able to provide the wider public with direct information. The role of communication in school marketing initiatives is vital (Klaver, 1994; Glover, 1992; Negben, 1985). If school marketing strategies are going to be effective then information must come from a source that is perceived as being influential and credible. It may be that, in school marketing strategies, efforts should be directed towards utilising sources which are perceived as being more influential in attempts to change public perceptions of schools.

To return to our four research questions.

• To what extent do Australians express support for a range of different objectives of schooling?

Strong levels of support were expressed for each of the objectives of schooling investigated: provision of career/work preparation; preparation for roles as citizens; development of literacy/numeracy skills; teaching of Australian history/geography; providing a basis for life-long learning; and promoting respect for indigenous people.

While it is clear that the Australian public support each of the objectives, what is not yet known is how important these objectives should be when priorities for schools are determined at various levels. In this study the public were asked to indicate the extent to which they supported each objective, rather than to rank the objectives or determining the most important objectives of schooling through an open ended question.

The level of support assigned to each of the six objectives of schooling was consistent across each of the eight demographic sub-groups, indicating general consensus among the broader Australian public in terms of support for each of the objectives of schooling. This may indicate a tendency for the public to be prepared to accept a range of objectives of schooling, regardless of the level of importance that they may place on particular objectives. In short, it would appear that the public is prepared to be accepting of the wishes of others in terms of supporting a range of objectives of schooling.

The Australian public supports the notion of a national curriculum. While it is clear that there are high levels of support for such a curriculum what was not investigated was the content which might form such a curriculum. This provides further support for the idea that the public will invariably support a wide range of notional objectives of schooling. What is not known is the extent to which the public would support the notion of a national curriculum had the content of such a curriculum been identified specifically.

The objectives of schooling addressed in the study were distilled from the "Hobart Declaration" (Australian Education Council, 1989). As the national goals of schooling have now been reviewed (Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs, 1999), it would be useful to ascertain the level of public support for the re-developed goals and also on their relative importance as focus areas for schools.

Teaching literacy and numeracy skills received the highest levels of support as an objective of schooling. This was to be expected, given the importance placed by society on the development of literacy and numeracy skills as a measure of basic educational competence. The firm levels of agreement expressed by the public for teaching literacy and numeracy skills indicate that schools should continue to view literacy and numeracy development as key priorities of schooling.

• How do Australians rate the performance of schools?

The Australian public perceived schools as successful in the achievement of each objective investigated, but particularly in the development of students’ computing and technology skills. The much publicised increase in the numbers of computers in schools, and their subsequent use in education generally, may have contributed to the perception that schools are highly successful in this area. In addition, a student’s ability to use computers and technology is readily observable, allowing the public to actually see what students are able to do in this area.

The levels of success that schools are perceived as having in the achievement of each objective is consistent across Australia, although Australians who had a child attending school at the time of the study, assigned higher levels of success to schools. While the level of contact with schools appears to influence the levels of success assigned, it is not yet known how reliable such findings might be, given the sparseness of other literature reporting such information. In any case, if the level of success assigned to schools in the achievement of objectives of schooling is influenced by the level of contact that the public have with schools, schools may need to address the way in which they communicate with the wider public and devise ways in which public contact with schools may be increased.

The development of students’ literacy and numeracy skills is a contentious issue, with continual public debate about the need for improvement in the literacy and numeracy skills of Australian students. The results of the study indicate that schools are perceived as successful in developing students’ literacy and numeracy skills. However, while the public perceives schools as successful in the achievement of these objectives, opinion is divided about whether literacy and numeracy skills are improving for most students in Australian schools.

Government schools in general, local government primary and secondary schools, and catholic and independent schools were all perceived as performing well. The Australian public perceived government schools in general to be performing well less often than the local government primary school was seen to be doing well, but this difference in perceived levels of performance was not great enough to fully confirm the trend for schools known best to be perceived as performing better than government schools in general.

Local government secondary schools are perceived to be performing at lower levels than government schools in general. The factors which might account for such differences are speculative in nature and further research in the area would provide greater insight into the reasons behind differences in the ratings of the local government secondary school, the local government primary school and government schools in general.

Catholic and independent schools were rated slightly more highly than government schools in general. However, this finding did not transfer to judgements about the relative performance of teachers in government schools and teachers in catholic and independent schools, with both categories of teachers being seen as performing well.

The pattern in the results of this study are consistent with the findings of other studies in which schools with which members of the public are most familiar are perceived to be performing at higher levels than schools with which they have limited contact. The nature of such a pattern can only be confirmed through ongoing polling of the public because without benchmark data built up over a number of years, the stability of such patterns cannot be established in the Australian context.

• What are Australians’ views on the levels and sources of government school funding?

There is apparently strong public support for an increase in the level of funding to government schools. The level of support for an increase in funding is reinforced by the fact that not one member of the public indicated that the current level of funding to government schools should be reduced. The minimal differences that were found to exist between the views of members from each of the eight demographic sub-groups demonstrate a general consensus that the levels of funding to government schools should be increased. However, it is not known whether the firm levels of support for an increase in funding would transfer to voting behaviour in an overtly political context.

While the public express strong levels of support for an increase in funding, they are not prepared to finance an increase through any means that requires additional expenditure on their part directly. The preferred source of increased funding for government schools is money redirected from other government departments, although the departments from which funds might be drawn were not identified.

Public opposition to a reduction in the level of funding to government schools is strong. This was emphasised when respondents were asked the extent to which they agreed with a number of possibilities for reducing the level of funding to government schools. Five possibilities were examined, with none receiving majority support.

• How influential are a range of sources of information about schools and their performance?

Members of the Australian public who, at the time of the study, had a child attending school perceived their own children’s experience of a school as being a particularly influential source of information. The level of influence that the Australian public assigned to each of the sources of information indicates that those sources of information which are personal and involve direct contact with others are perceived to be more influential.

The experience that Australians have of schools was also found to be influential as a source of information, although the level of influence the public assigned to their own experience of a school seemed to diminish with age, with older members of the Australian public not perceiving their own experience of a school as particularly influential. This suggests that schools need to develop ways in which they are able to increase their level of direct contact with their communities in order to raise awareness of their activities and their successes.

The level of influence assigned to television and newspaper reports as sources of information about schools and their performance was perceived as less influential than might have been expected. The low levels of influence assigned to the media may stem from a reluctance on the part of the public to disclose perceptions of the media as influential. It might just as well be, however, that the influence of the media has been over emphasised and the public assess media information against other sources of information, thus drawing their own conclusions about the state of education and schooling in Australia.

Overall, the public did not perceive either school functions or school publications as being of great influence. Perhaps it is necessary for schools to reassess the ways in which they communicate with the public, as distinct from the parents of the children at their school. The relative influence of sources of information detailed in this study provide an ideal starting point from which schools would be able to determine those sources of information likely to be most effective in a strategic approach to disseminating information.

The findings of the study provide an insight into, and a benchmark of, the public’s perception of education and schooling in Australia. There is, however a need for an annual public opinion poll through which the public’s opinions of schools and education can be recorded, analysed and then publicly disseminated. The implementation of an annual public opinion poll in the field of education would allow the public to better understand the nature of education in Australia and the achievements of schools.

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