Centralised, command and control economies fail. This is why.
Tuesday, 25 June 2013
If you know a young person interested in learning about real life, sit down and have a talk with them about this comment from Old Timer.
Richard Branson has a wonderful principle in building his businesses. As soon as they start to get too big, break them into smaller, nimble units that are close to customers. Let local people make local decisions in local communities, without the "value-add" that comes from a seagull from Canberra.
To all of those wise heads who contribute so freely to our site, thank you.
Old Timer said:
Having spent 50 years as a teacher, I am appalled as to where 'Conski' is heading under this Prime Minister.
This is just another way to boost the number of public servants.
As an example, go back to when $100m was to be spent by the Commonwealth to boost reading skills of 10 year old boys.
Immediately, 10% was taken by the Commonwealth education dept to set up an office to 'administer' these funds. A director and staff were appointed, an office space was rented, furniture and technology purchased and reports generated.
Eventually, the money was sent out to the state Education Departments.
Queensland received $10m.
Immediately, 10% of this money is taken to set up an office in Brisbane to report back to Canberra the results of this funding initiative.
The remaining $9m is sent to 9 regions in Qld.
A regional director takes the $1m and sets up an office in Townsville to receive the evaluations of the scheme from schools, so that this may be passed on to Brisbane where a glossy report can be sent to Canberra.
The remaining $900 000 is then sent to the 100 schools in the region with a covering letter stressing the importance of this scheme and that the Principal is to ensure that the success of the scheme is closely monitored.
A staff member is taken off class for 2 hours per week for a term to 'monitor' the scheme; a replacement is funded from the Commonwealth funds.
Once all this is in place, the Principal at Whoop Whoop State School sits down and ponders how he is going to spend the remaining $32.43 to assist his five 10 year old boys with reading.
Meanwhile, the reports get flittered and sanitised as they head to Canberra.
12 months later, a glossy thick report lands on the Commonwealth minister's desk which purports to tell of the success of the scheme and how it has made such a difference to those 5 boys at Whoop Whoop.
ENDS
If you're a teacher, perhaps you could let us know how any of these reports have helped you in the classroom.
http://www.tudorhouse.nsw.edu.au/downloads/Boys_Getting_it_Right.pdf