ABSTRACT
The principal of an old and respected secondary school has fixed on the competition as, not another State school, but a prospective private school. Some clusters developed strong community development agendas and saw themselves actively engaged in a sociopolitical process of contesting, in partnership with local networks, the social production of inequalities. Adult education was part of more comprehensive parent involvement programs in which parents participated in a wide range of school activities—from classroom assistance to drop-in centres and decision-making committees. District meetings become the place where central information is circulated and discussed, reconstructed and interpreted before it is taken back by each principal into their school. Rushbelt principal responses to audit requirements vary according to their overall philosophy of equity and their desire and practice of autonomy. Schools in the wealthy eastern suburbs are more likely to have post-compulsory courses in the information industry and to focus on the work-related aspects of university-oriented courses in science and arts.
