The Essential Report Archive Read the latest report

  • May, 2020

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    Opening schools following Covid-19

    Q. Which of the following is closest to your views on the reopening of schools?

        Parent/Guardian Status
      Total I am a parent/guardian of

    school-aged children

    I am not a parent/guardian of school-aged children
    Schools should only open for children of essential workers 32% 36% 30%
    Schools should re-open for all children 45% 44% 46%
    Schools should remain closed with all teaching conducted online 23% 20% 24%
    Base (n) 1,093 291 802
  • May, 2020

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    Views on opening schools following Covid-19

    Q. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following questions about children returning to school following the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions?

      TOTAL: Agree TOTAL: Disagree Strongly agree Somewhat agree Neither agree, nor disagree Somewhat disagree Strongly disagree
    Schools should teach most students remotely until the Covid-19 outbreak passes 50% 25% 23% 27% 25% 15% 10%
    It’s unreasonable to expect teachers to prepare separate lessons for children who are learning remotely and for children who still attend school 52% 21% 23% 30% 27% 12% 8%
    Even if schools in my state are open, I will still choose to keep my children home because of the Covid-19 outbreak

    (PARENT/GUARDIAN ONLY)

    41% 36% 17% 25% 23% 18% 17%
  • Dec, 2013

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    Schools under the Liberal Government

    Q. Which schools do you think will be better off under the Liberal Government’s education plan? 

     

    Total

     

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Vote other/

    indep-endent

    All schools will be better off

    26%

    7%

    51%

    7%

    17%

    Only private schools will be better off

    26%

    43%

    11%

    30%

    28%

    Only public schools will be better off

    2%

    1%

    3%

    2%

    1%

    No schools will be better off

    22%

    33%

    6%

    49%

    26%

    Don’t know

    25%

    16%

    28%

    12%

    28%

    26% think that, under a Liberal Government, all schools will be better off. 26% think only private schools will be better off and 22% think no schools will be better off, while only 2% think that only public schools will be better off.

    51% of Liberal/National voters think all schools will be better off, 43% of Labor voters think only private schools will be better off and 49% of Greens voters think no schools will be better off.

  • Mar, 2013

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    Services better run by Government or Private Sector

    Q. Which of the following are better run by the private sector and which are better run by Government?

     

    11 Mar 2013

    31 Jan 2011

     

    Better run by private sector

    Better run by Government

    Don’t know

    Better run by private sector

    Better run by Government

    Don’t know

    Electricity

    25%

    62%

    13%

    22%

    61%

    17%

    Water

    19%

    69%

    12%

    15%

    70%

    16%

    Trains, buses and ferries

    25%

    64%

    11%

    19%

    68%

    13%

    Motorways

    23%

    66%

    11%

    17%

    70%

    13%

    Community services such as child protection

    14%

    75%

    11%

    14%

    71%

    15%

    Telecommunications (including broadband services)

    45%

    44%

    11%

    na

    na

    na

    Hospitals and health services

    19%

    71%

    10%

    na

    na

    na

    Schools

    21%

    69%

    10%

    na

    na

    na

    Prisons

    17%

    73%

    11%

    10%

    76%

    15%

    Universities

    27%

    61%

    12%

    20%

    64%

    16%

    Ports

    22%

    60%

    19%

    na

    na

    na

    Most services listed were clearly thought to be better run by Government than the private sector.

    The only exception was telecommunications where respondents were split 45% private sector, 44% Government.

    The areas most preferred to be run by Government were – community services (75%), prisons (73%), hospitals and health services (71%), schools (69%) and water (69%).

    Compared to the results when this question was asked in January 2011, preference for the private sector running services has increased a little – +6% for trains, buses and ferries and motorways and +7% for prisons and universities.

  • Oct, 2012

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    Sexism and discrimination against women

    Q. How much sexism and discrimination against women do you think currently occurs in the following?

     

    A lot

    Some

    A little

    None at all

    Don’t know

    A lot/some TOTAL

    A lot/some MEN

    A lot/some WOMEN

    In workplaces

    17%

    38%

    32%

    6%

    7%

    55%

    49%

    62%

    In the media

    19%

    37%

    29%

    9%

    7%

    56%

    49%

    62%

    In politics

    25%

    36%

    25%

    8%

    7%

    61%

    55%

    67%

    In advertising

    31%

    28%

    26%

    8%

    7%

    59%

    50%

    67%

    In sport

    24%

    34%

    25%

    10%

    7%

    58%

    50%

    66%

    In schools

    12%

    31%

    33%

    14%

    10%

    43%

    39%

    48%

    A majority of respondents think there is a lot or some sexism in politics (61%), advertising (59%), sport (58%), the media (56%) and workplaces (55%).

    Women were more likely to think there is a lot or some sexism in all areas – but especially advertising (men 50%/women 67%) and sport (50%/66%).

    37% of women think there is a lot of sexism/discrimination in advertising, 31% in sport and 29% in politics.

  • Feb, 2012

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    Opinion of Gonski Report Recommendations

    Q. The Gonski report on funding education has recommended a new model for school funding that would mean all students are entitled to a set level of funding regardless of where they go to school, disadvantaged schools receive more funding and taxpayer funding for private schools is adjusted down based on parents’ capacity to pay.

    Do you support or oppose these recommendations?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    Total support

    68%

    79%

    64%

    76%

    Total oppose

    13%

    7%

    17%

    14%

    Strongly support

    25%

    37%

    17%

    35%

    Support

    43%

    42%

    47%

    41%

    Oppose

    9%

    5%

    12%

    9%

    Strongly oppose

    4%

    2%

    5%

    5%

    Don’t know

    19%

    14%

    19%

    10

    68% say they support the recommendations of the Gonski report on funding education and 13% were opposed.
    Strongest support was shown by Labor voters (79%), Greens voters (76%) and people aged 55+ (75%).

    Comments »

  • Feb, 2012

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    Education Funding or Budget Surplus

    Q. The Gonski report also recommends a $5 billion increase in education funding with $1.5 billion of this additional funding coming from the Federal Government and the rest from the State Governments. If the Federal Government provides this additional funding it may mean they will not be able to return the budget to surplus next year.

    Do you think it is more important to provide this additional funding for schools or more important to return a budget surplus?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    More important to provide additional funding to schools

    61%

    63%

    58%

    83%

    More important to return a budget surplus

    24%

    25%

    29%

    11%

    Don’t know

    15%

    12%

    12%

    6%

    61% think it is more important to provide additional funding to schools and 24% say it is more important to return a budget surplus.

    Those who think it is more important to provide additional funding were women (65%), aged 45+ (67%), and Greens voters (83%).

    Comments »

  • Feb, 2012

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    Funding for Elite private Schools

    Q. Do you think all schools should get an increase in funding or should some of the wealthy elite private schools not get an increase in funding?

     

    Total

    Vote Labor

    Vote Lib/Nat

    Vote Greens

    All schools should receive an increase in funding

    23%

    17%

    31%

    11%

    Some wealthy elite private schools should not get an increase in funding

    73%

    78%

    68%

    83%

    Don’t know

    4%

    5%

    2%

    5%

    Only 23% think that all schools should receive an increase in funding and 73% think that some wealthy elite private schools should not get an increase.

    Highest support for all schools to receive an increase in funding came from Liberal/National voters (31%) and those on incomes over $1,600pw (28%).

    Highest support for wealthy elite private schools not receiving additional funding came from Greens voters (83%), Labor voters (78%) and people aged 45-64 (78%).

    Comments »

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