ABSTRACT
In few fields can there be so much distrust of independence as there is in education; the legacy of entrenched public-private opposition that has for decades, here in Australia at least, consumed virtually all popular discourse on schooling. Year after year, at results time and whenever government funding of schools rises to the political agenda, commentators thrash out the pros and cons of state and independent schools, usually from positions affirmed by personal experience more than anything empirical. Schools can never be fully independent because the challenges facing their students, and their families, are not confined to within the school gates. The inequalities in society must be addressed by all those involved in a student's education. Evidence from across the world and empirical evidence here in the United Kingdom demonstrates the critical importance of parental support for, and commitment to, education inspiring and motivating students to achieve their full potential.
