Why public education should be turned over to the private sector (drugs, regular)
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Once upon a time, eons ago, most schools were run entirely by local communities because they were practical, efficient, and taught children the basics. In small rural areas, the local church was often used as the classroom on weekdays. Of course, this was during the time when most of America was small and agricultural. As we know, times have drastically changed since then.
Today's public schools are an enormous burden on taxpayers ... not only on the local levels, but we even have the NEA which is a bloated federally funded bureaucracy. I don't have children, but 70% of my property taxes are robbed from me and stuffed into public schools to supposedly educate other people's children. In addtion to property taxes, voters here in Maricopa County approved a massive public education funding program eight years ago, which became the largest sales tax increase in history. Most every school bond is approved every time there's an election. Yet, despite all the money we throw at public education, we still hear many people complain that the system is under funded.
There are also many complaints about the poor quality of public schools, which I tend to agree with. The poorer performers are often passed along, and allowed to graduate without the proper skills needed for the real world. The students who study hard and receive good grades are usually bullied, and labeled "geek" or "nerd". Drugs, sex, gangs, and school shootings have also become more common recently.
As far as I'm concerned, the only effective solution is to privatize the system. There are those who claim that I don't care about an educated populace, which is absolutely false. I'm highly supportive of education ... and I care about the quality of it so much that I want the government out of the system, and the burden relieved from taxpayers. I attended both public and private schools when I was young, and I can honestly say that there is a 180 degree difference in the quality of private schools vs. that of public.
There are those who say that making the schools private would put an enormous burden on parents who can't afford the cost of tuition. Well, the solution to that is to PLAN AHEAD before having children. If your financial situation can't handle all the expenses of raising children on your own, maybe you shouldn't be bringing any into the world until you can afford it! Even so, many parents obtain loans to send their kids to college ... so they can also get loans to send their kids to regular school. If that isn't feasible, there is always the option of home schooling.
Privatizing the school system would also eliminate two of the "great debates" that have been raging over the years: PRAYER and SCHOOL CHOICE. Actually, the two go hand in hand because parents would have the choice of sending their children to whatever school they want ... and their children could pray all they want respective to their beliefs. Most public schools don't allow prayer and choice.
Furthermore, too many parents have come to expect schools to be a "free ride". Parents often use the system as a means of subsidized day care, and really don't have much input or concern about their children's education. If parents paid for their kids' education out of their own pockets, more parents would take an interest in what their kids are learning, and how well they're doing. After all, money is a motivator.
Please read a nonpartisan history of America's public school system, then get back to us. I'm serious.
It's somewhat difficult to find a historical treatment of this subject matter that is also not politically charged. But that treatment is out there and can be found.
beautiful post beautiful. greenspan gave a great speech on voucher system many years ago at the commonwealth club of san francisco. will never forget it.
what makes american universities best in the world
choice
what makes our public schools the worst
choice (there is none)
It's the government's responsibility if the voters (that's you and me) decide it's the government's responsibility. You're living in a democracy, remember? That's so elementary to understand that I must presume you were making some kind of blunt-faced rhetorical point.
It's the government's responsibility if the voters (that's you and me) decide it's the government's responsibility. You're living in a democracy, remember?
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Actually, it is not a democracy - but, we will let that go for now
When did the People vote to have the Government be the primary decider as to the education of our children?
Valley Native, it is very obvious that you have very little interest in the quality or the penetration of education. Your highly-charged terminology contains all the usual buzzwords: "Taxes robbed", "I want the government out", these are not eduation issues at all. The are the generic views that are widespread among a narrow political pespective.
You have not really made any arguments at all that would support the view that the private sector actually can or would educate our children more effectively or efficiently that the prevailing public system. You are an advocate of the user-pay system, in which the entire burden for the cost of an educated and literate nation is borne by the 25-40 demographic, which is the economic sector least able to afford it. They have not yet been promoted to higher paying positions, and they are faced with all the other expenses of early home-making. By forcing them to pay the entire cost of education, you are in many cases forcing them to get second jobs, which would result in huge numbers of children having virtually no contact at all with their parents.
Which private corporations would you like to see owning and operating our schools? Halliburton? Mobil-Exxon? McDonalds? Comcast? Girls Gone Wild Productions Inc?
What are you going to do with children whose parents cannot afford to send them to school? Just let our literacy rate drop down to 95%, and then 85% and then 60%? Or force them to go to school and "rob" the parents to pay for it, just as you complain that you are now being "robbed" to pay for public education?
Public education preserves the principle that the children of irresponsible parents will still be educated. How would you ensure that the children of irresponsible parents would still be educated? It does not solve any problems to say that you are responsible and therefore everybody else can be.
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