Freedom and School Choice

Freedom and School Choice in American Education:

No part of American life is more politicized than education. Governments demand that parents turn their children over to approved schools at a tender age. The parents and all other taxpayers (whether they have children or not) must pay taxes to support the “public education system.” Government schools are for the most part run for the benefit of the vast numbers of teachers and administrators employed by them. The cost is high and the educational outcomes for most students are startlingly poor, but the education establishment (often referred to by some in the school reform movement as “the blob”) is adept at hiding both the costs and bad results behind a blizzard of slick public relations events and releases.

The government education system is a lot like the old Soviet Union’s agriculture system: high costs, lousy results, all protected by official propaganda. Perhaps America’s situation is even worse: At least the Russians knew they were hungry. Many Americans actually believe that their children are getting a good education.