Privatize Education? - Political Forum

emptypepsi · 09-20-2007, 08:36 PM

This article is arguing in favor of privatizing the education system in America.

WorldNetDaily: Privatize American education

Quote:

That's why the opposition to federally controlled education must come from Americans who are sick of paying exorbitant taxes (in most districts, personal property taxes go mostly to education) to support our public schools -- especially adults who don't even have kids in school anymore.

The real answer here is privatization.

Generally speaking, as I use the term "privatization," I mean that the federal government ought to surrender control over our public schools to private companies that would have to compete for contracts to operate those schools.

What do you think? Would privatized education benefit parents and their children, or would it be a bad path for us to go down? The author purports that a privatized education system would:

Quote:

Force down the overall price parents have to pay for schooling their children because in a lean, mean corporate environment, there is usually very little waste, fraud and abuse and no regular stream of guaranteed tax money to fritter away on trivial, non-education related programs and activism;

Allow parents -- not pre-determined school "districts" -- to pick and choose where their children will be educated, enhancing competition and allowing them to bypass the non-productive "child warehouses" now posing as schools;

Allow educators and privatized school administrators the latitude and freedom to be more creative in choosing curriculum, teaching plans and techniques with proven track records, rather than forcing them to teach kids watered-down, mediocre and "issue-based" curriculum like "racial issues" and "how to use a condom" from a small collection of textbooks that are all the same;

He also suggests this would allow a family the freedom to move to another state if their system is 'busted'.

What are your thoughts?

HenryDavidThoreau · 09-20-2007, 08:54 PM

How about federally paid schools that use a voucher system for enrollment? Schools with more vouchers/more kids=more money. The school system would actually have to create a learning environment that attracts both students and their families to choose a certain school.

iTaliAN_ICe · 09-20-2007, 08:55 PM

I completely disagree with privatizing education, and may have argued against it on this forum before. Even if, I'll reiterate my position.

Privatizing education would make social mobility a thing of the past. In any "free market" industry, you get what you pay for, right? Unfortunately, this would mean that the quality of your education would be wholly dependent on the contents of your wallet.

It's our duty as Americans to ensure that our fellow citizens each have an equal opportunity to succeed, and that means providing each of them with an education of equal quality (excluding college/university education).

However, what they choose to do after being provided with this opportunity is no concern or responsibility of the State.

Alun · 09-20-2007, 09:20 PM

I have a problem with this guy's argument.

He presumes that privatization would mean increased mobility, variety, and choices in schools. I doubt it; how are privately run public schools going to magically be able to accommodate a wildly varying number of students over whom they have no power of selection? Doesn't the schools' money still come from the districts he complains are too static?

He also presumes that privatization would mean greater latitude in curriculum. Again, what's the magical change that allows a privatized public school to get money without regulation? Wouldn't the government still need to ensure that the schools work before giving them a giant contract?

For the most part, though, this argument focuses on the idea that privatization would reduce the "waste, fraud...abuse" and, most importantly, the price-tag of schooling. This idea is based on the principle that "schooling...in a lean, mean corporate environment" is better. But I don't think it's really possible to have a corporation of schools; such a thing is totally unheard of, even in the acclaimed free market. Private schools are plenty wasteful, and I don't know of any run by a corporation or that focus on keeping costs down.

But even if the system he describes is even possible, the whole argument is looking at the issue from the wrong direction. The public education system doesn't work; this is not the time to focus on cutting costs, this is the time to focus on getting more money to work for education.

Bradgriff · 09-20-2007, 09:21 PM

Totaly privatize education, but offer tuition vouchers to folks who can prove they can't afford to go. That way schools can start beating kids again, which those entitled cell phone moocher brats sorely need. Finally educators can make parents sign a contract that allows the educators to do what they need which will hopefull include some slaps. Parents seem to be unable to get thier kids to school these days in any kind of shape to learn. Then they blame the fact that the manipulative little brat they created can't get good grades on the teachers. No more of that, privatize, raise the standards!!! At the same time competition will raise the level of product over time.

Bradgriff · 09-20-2007, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodog

Just think of those taxes your paying for other people's education as paying for your education and if you went to a private school instead then to bad, the government doesn't give refunds.

I wonder how many years of free college for every accepted applicant the Iraqii War budget would have paid for. We'd have one hell of a higher educated population...... instead of this wild monkey food fight called the war on terror

Dragon Horse · 09-20-2007, 09:53 PM

Denmark is a good example of an educational system based on vouchers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Denmark

The Libertarian · 09-21-2007, 05:34 PM

Great idea. Cheaper, and more efficient. The free-market way.

sicarri · 09-22-2007, 03:22 AM

Private education is the way to go. It gives the parent more freedom over the way their child is to educated, it might (not saying it will) force parents to be more involved with the education of their children which, by the way, is something that is lacking in todays system. Competition is the key, if I don't like so and so school i will send my children to another school. The schools will have to provide the absolute best educational opportunities or they will fail. When the gov. controls the school system who do they compete with to ensure that the standards are at their highest?