Apparently, the state of the Australian education system is
a laughing matter- or at least, the stereotypes that inhabit it are. Chris
Lilley’s newest comedy ‘Ja’mie: Private school girl’ attracted approximately
920 000 views on its debut episode this week, and the spin-off of summer
heights high is only set to continue the ‘critique’ of the Australian school
system. I use the word critique somewhat liberally: Humour is definitely one of
the sharpest tools of criticism, but in this instance the caricature figure of
Ja’mie King, a white girl from extreme privilege dredges up some severe
questions without providing many answers.
Jane Caro, a media
commentator and advocate of both feminism and author of ‘The Stupid Country:
How Australia is Dismantling Public Education’, however, rated the comedy as a
hit, stating the “magnificent comic creation” had “just enough truth about her
to make us squirm as we laugh”.
Ja’mie Kings’ spoilt behaviour and privileged existence might
be a cause for comedy, but the fact is the show is plainly pointing out one of
the deeper issues of the education system.
“Because, as Private School Girl makes abundantly clear,
Australia is rapidly creating a class system via the mechanism most of the rest
of the world has at least attempted to use to dismantle theirs - school
education. As I have experienced personally, it has become an act of some
courage for a relatively prosperous family to actually choose a public,
comprehensive school for their children.”
Jane Caro might be able to point it out clearly, but whether
the issue is understood by the broader public is yet to be seen- is this show
highlighting the issue or obscuring it?
What’s even more disturbing is the clear obviousness of Ja’mie’s
privilege: “Ja’mie accepts her privilege as nothing less than her right and her
due as, I suspect, do most of the offspring of the well-to-do”
Does this go against Peggy McIntosh’ insights on the nature
of white privilege? McIntosh after all describes ”white privilege as an
invisible package of unearned assets that I can count on cashing in each day,
but about which I was “meant” to remain oblivious.” Granted the privilege Ja’mie
experience is only partly on the basis of race, and more so on economic
advantage, but regardless: What does it say about the state of the Australian public-private
divide when the privilege which is meant to be a background phenomenon, is
brought to the forefront, laughed at, and regarded as the status quo?
Perhaps there is an argument however, that just showing the
privilege of the groups who attend private schools is not enough to truly
exhibit the reach of the problem and the breadth of the divide. Christina Ho
comes to the crux of the matter when illustrating what the public-private
divide truly achieves: “As a result of the withdrawal of children to the
private sector public schools are increasingly left with the ‘residual’ student
body- students from poorer backgrounds, sometimes coinciding with disadvantaged
migrant backgrounds”
So for the issue to be truly addressed and brought to public
awareness there’d need to be some sort of comedy show, depicting a public
school with a range of disadvantage students and the struggle they face? Then the
issue would be taken seriously by the public?
Oh wait.
Sounds familiar.
Summer Heights High aired in 2007, six years ago. The
mockumentary followed the story of the same private school girl character, Ja’mie,
along with Tongan underprivileged student Jonah. Six years later the same
essential theme is still being ‘explored’, is still considered funny and is
still a driving force which inhibits the Australian education systems ability
to deliver a fair and equal level of education regardless of background.
Forgive me if I’ve missed the joke.
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Caro, J. (2013, October 25). Comment: Like, no offence but
Ja'mie's private school stereotypes will make you laugh... and cry. News.
Retrieved October 28, 2013, from http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2013/10/25/comment-no-offence-jamies-private-school-stereotypes-will-make-you-laugh-and-cry
McIntosh, P. (1988). White privilege and male privilege: a
personal account of coming to see correspondences through work in women's
studies. Wellesley, MA: Wellesley College, Center for Research on Women.
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