The Herald Sun. Newspaper, Tabloid, Resource for the uneducated who wish to appear intellectually engaged with the surrounding world and up to date on seemingly important contemporary issues. Also known as, shit journalism.
This may seem overtly bias, however their recent slandering of my beloved past high school has enraged me once again. In a piece titled ‘Elite school’s appeal for funds in name of equality’, published on May 16, Katherine Powley wrongfully portrays MGGS of ‘begging‘ for donations in the name of equality.
Powley’s states “An elite Melbourne school is crying poor and asking donors to cough up huge amounts of cash in the name of “equality”. Powley’s hyperbolic argument that MGGS is ‘crying poor‘ is a direct example of the slanderous rubbish The Herald Sun publish as ‘news’.
The instance Powley refers to throughout her piece is a campaign sent to Old Grammarians asking for donations toward the building of a new gym; An innocent occurrence any past school student observes throughout their lifetime.
However this particular instance has been unfairly blown out of proportion as MGGS compares figures from brother school MGS benefactors. The $4.8 Million is incomparable to $60million+ received by said brother school. It seems Powley is missing the issue raised. MGGS is not crying poor, however raising a point of inequality; it is a fact that all Elite private girls schools receive less funding than that of their male counterparts. That is the simple matter the school was raising.
The issue at hand was not one of public verses private. I was educated at a public primary school as were the majority of my friendship group, My parents then worked extremely hard to send me to a private high school, something which I will be forever grateful for. I have witnessed the incomparable level of funding to the public schooling system and the private schooling system, A horribly complicated issue, a separate issue however to the one raised by MGGS.
Perhaps before Powley decided to run with the story aimed at enraging readers, and generating a large debate about public and private education, She should have chosen to delve a little deeper into the meaning behind the MGGS equality campaign. The average gender pay gap in Australia currently sits at 18.2%, in Areas such as Health Care and Social Assistance it sits at 30.7% and in Professional, scientific and technical services it sits at 25.3%.
This means that even should I grow up and wish to become a benefactor at my school, I would be physically incapable of donating the same amount of funds to an equivalent male, working in my field.
Powley may not believe this is an issue, I however, do.
The issue at hand, ironically is one institution, verse another institution. When asked this week to analyse, What is an institution? We are asked to question
– What are their core values?
– What is the relationship to their audience?
– What is their status?
When you ask these questions, the reasoning behind each piece in questions becomes apparent. The Herald Sun is an institution aimed at generating profit, informing their readership of somewhat important issues, and evidently filling the gaps with hyperbolic slander. The trusting relationship formed with their audience, allows them to do so. As readership rarely question what is printed, they can freely publish what they desire with the knowledge that readers will easily accept their arguments. Their status is debatable, they are the highest circulating daily paper in Australia, however they are also the most controversial daily paper as many stories are discreditable.
MGGS teach Integrity, compassion, courage and self discipline, alongside a blood thirsty desire for equality in all aspects of life; including funding. Should they use a statistic that their male equivalent raise twelve times the amount raised in order to illuminate a much broader issue, let them do so.And in the future, should the gender pay gap come anywhere near closing and women receive the same pay as men, I am sure females will drive the movement for equality within private and public education as women with similar desires as I do; fund both sectors, equally.