Making the choice: Values and performance

Abstract

What do parents want from their children’s school? This is a question schools are asking themselves in a changing education environment where parental choice is encouraged and where parents are not afraid to exercise their right to exit or voice their complaints if the school does not meet their expectations. The funding of schools in Australia has changed over the last 10 to 15 years so that now schools operate in an environment where competition for parents is directly related to funding, as the number of parents schools attract determines the funding they receive. Parents are told that they are able to make choices about the right educational path for their children. This raises the question, how do they determine which school is best for their children?