What does 'public school education' in Australia mean in the 21st century

What does 'public school education' mean in Australia in the 21st century, with its past tradition of free, compulsory and secular schooling, and the present school sector policies urging the widespread use of digital technologies? This paper starts from the premise that histories and traditions underpin the provision of public school education in Australia. The author argues that the recognition of the nature of these histories and traditions is important to acknowledge for their sustainability: so they are not taken for granted; are subjected to investigation and are debated; and where appropriate can be maintained. In addition, acknowledging the role of certain traditions in public schooling enables us to ask questions about the taken-for-granted assumptions embedded within school education at a time when digital technologies are being advocated as a core policy requirement in the provision of universal schooling in Australia. This paper reflects firstly on the sustainability of selected traditions in public school education by asking what does public schooling mean in Australia in the 21st century; and secondly, contributes to the development of a stock of Australian literature based within and pertinent to the public schooling sector. This paper argues that the meaning of the phrase 'public school education' has altered over time, and that some traditions underpinning public school education are being lost and others are being reauthored. The paper concludes that with the ongoing inclusion of digital technologies into school education, interpretations of the meanings of 'public school education' ought to be reconsidered. [Author abstract]