Posted by
voice_of_reason on Friday, February 02, 2007 7:33:28 PM
Should every parent be required by law to send their children to school?
Anyone who answers "yes" to that question must accept the premise that Education is a right - it would then follow that it is acceptable to use tax revenues to pay for schools.
My response:
Parents should NOT be required to send their children to school. That is in the same vein that parents cannot be REQUIRED to feed their children nutritious food. With the exception of child endangerment, all these decisions should be left to the discretion (and pocketbook) of the parent. Those who regard education as a value, will send their children to the best schools that they can afford.
Is it worthwhile to consider the application of the Medicare/Medicaid model to education?
In this model, the Govt is a provider of insurance for the elderly or the indigent. Govt insurance is accepted by mostly private medical providers.
In my opinion, this would be a somewhat better system than having the Govt actually own & operate schools - which has been a complete disaster. In some ways, providing school vouchers (for those below the poverty line) that are accepted at private schools would be analogous to the Medicare/Medicaid model. At least there would be a competitive market model for private education system. If our K-12 education were to function at least as well as the Medicare/Medicaid model in healthcare, we would be better off as a country!
After all, the Govt got into the business of education in order to ensure an equality of opportunity for poor children. Unfortunately, despite the laudable sentiments, the worst possible model was chosen, mandating Govt to own and operate schools! Needless to say, the poor children are not getting the best possible education - and neither is anyone else who sends their kids to public schools. So, the Govt accomplished the 'equalization' of opportunity for poor kids - by reducing the quality for everyone.
That said, I think that school vouchers are at best, a half-measure, and would inevitably be prone to similar problems as Medicare/Medicaid. Higher costs and lower quality invariably follow any kind of entitlement (see my blogpost titled "
Of Tortillas .. and men").