The emergence of Federal aid to schools is probably the most important single development in Federal education policy since World War II. This paper seeks to explain the origins of the Federal science laboratories scheme, the controversial and crucial precedent which paved the way for the rapid acceleration of Federal aid to schools in the decade after 1963.
References
1.
Sydney Morning Herald, 13 November 1963, 7.
2.
WestK.Power in the Liberal Party. Melbourne: Cheshire, 1965, 213.
3.
The challenge to Federalism. First Southey Memorial Lecture by Sir Robert Menzies, 16 September 1960.
4.
The challenge to Federalism. First Southey Memorial Lecture by Sir Robert Menzies, 16 September 1960.
5.
Commonwealth of Australia. Parliamentary Debates. (Hansard.) Session 1960. House of Representatives, 7 September 1960, 29, 887–888.
6.
Commonwealth of Australia. Conference of Commonwealth and State Ministers. Proceedings of the Conference, March 1959, 66.
7.
Commonwealth of Australia. Conference of Commonwealth and State Ministers. Proceedings of the Conference, February 1962, 16.
8.
This was usually done by a coordinated interstate and intra-State “bombardment” by telegram of the Premiers and the Prime Minister and Treasurer on the eve of Premiers' Conferences.
9.
SmartD.Federal aid to Australian schools. Ph.D. thesis, ANU, 1975.
10.
Education (N.S.W.), 26 February 1958, 3.
11.
Education (N.S.W.), 30 April 1958, 3.
12.
Education (N.S.W.), 30 April 1958, 3.
13.
Education (N.S.W.), 11 June 1958, 2.
14.
Victorian Teachers Union (VTU) “Federal Aid” File, President of ATF to Victorian Premier, 2 June 1958.
15.
VTU “Federal Aid” File, Secretary VTU to Vic. Minister for Education, 5 March 1958; reply 17 March 1958. Australian Conference of Directors-General of Education, May-June 1957, Minutes, 34 ff.
16.
SmartD., op. cit., 36–40, 74–86.
17.
School Bell, August 1963, 3.
18.
Academy of Science, Minutes of Council, 9.10.54., 11.10.54., pp. 23. 32. Menzies had encouraged and assisted in the Academy's formation, had laid its foundation stone on 2 May 1958, and was made a Fellow of the Academy by Special Election the same day. Additionally, he was on good terms with key members such as Sir Mark Oliphant and Sir Ian Clunies Ross.
19.
Australian Academy of Science. Scientific and Technological Manpower: Supply and Demand in Australia. Canberra, September 1957, 2–3. (mimeo).
20.
Australian Academy of Science. Scientific and Technological Manpower: Supply and Demand in Australia. Canberra, September 1957, 3.
21.
The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia. Report of the Committee on Australian Universities. Canberra: Commonwealth Government Printer, 1957, 17.
22.
SmartD.The Industrial Fund for the Advancement of Scientific Education in Schools: precursor to the Menzies Government's Secondary Schools Science Laboratories Scheme. A paper given at the AARE Conference, Canberra, 11 November 1972.
23.
Academy of Science, Minutes.
24.
Interviews by the author with Dr. W. C. Radford and Dr. J. P. Keeves of ACER, Melbourne, February 1973.
25.
Commonwealth of Australia. Conference of Commonwealth and State Ministers-Proceedings of the Conference, 15 June 1961, 9; February 1963, 13.
26.
Quarterly Review of Australian Education, March 1968, 1, 3, p. 6.
27.
Sydney Morning Herald, 5–9, 12, 15 February 1962. Gilbert, R. V. The reintroduction of State aid in N.S.W. Unpublished M.Ed, thesis, Newcastle, 1968, 47, 54–55.
28.
Sydney Morning Herald, 11 September 1962, 1. Italics added.
29.
SmartD.Federal aid to Australian schools, op. cit., 72 ff.; Gilbert, R. V., op. cit., 72 ff.; Sydney Morning Herald, 21 January 1966.
30.
SmartD.Federal aid to Australian schools, op. cit., 108 ff;. Smart, D. The Industrial Fund…., op. cit.
