Exploring the public dialogue on government school costs in Australia: a content analysis of print media
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Mackelprang, Jessica L
Phillipson, Sivanes
Garvis, Susie
Thielking, Monica
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Objective: All children deserve high-quality education. In order to promote inclusive educational policies and practices, understanding barriers to participation in education is necessary. School costs is one potential barrier that has garnered limited attention in the literature to date. The objective of this research was to better understand public dialogue concerning government school costs in Australia. Method: We conducted a content analysis of print media coverage on government school costs in Australia between 2011 and 2023. Results: In total, 118 print media articles met the inclusion criteria. Six categories were generated: School Costs, School Fees, Payment Approaches, Support Services, Funding of Government Schools, and Impact on Children and Families. Parent voices were the most common in the included articles (30.5%), followed by government officials (17.8%). Conclusion: Australian print media has documented that school costs are problematic for families in Australia. The perspectives of parents are central in public dialogue on this issue. There is a need for empirical research to better understand the impacts of school costs on Australian families, particularly those who are experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage.
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Educational and Developmental Psychologist
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This publication has been entered in Griffith Research Online as an advance online version.
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Willis, S; Mackelprang, JL; Phillipson, S; Garvis, S; Thielking, M, Exploring the public dialogue on government school costs in Australia: a content analysis of print media, Educational and Developmental Psychologist, 2024