I think it’s great that there is progress being made in the areas of school vouchers and charter schools. I’m sure some here won’t like it because it still has some degree of government control over it but it’s better than just having public schools. I personally think these are great improvements given that getting rid of public schools totally won’t happen overnight.
“I think it’s great that there is progress being made in the areas of school vouchers and charter schools. I’m sure some here won’t like it because it still has some degree of government control over it but it’s better than just having public schools. I personally think these are great improvements given that getting rid of public schools totally won’t happen overnight.”
I agree. I actually feel as though a slightly less regulated charter school system would be more effective than a totally free market in the area, something that I’m probably going to get slammed for (God forbid, that somehow, someway, under just a few circumstances, the government might be able to do something, even leaving full choice about final expenditure on the victim, even somewhat positive in any way! 
)
“School choice” is a great way to bring independent private schools under the crushing control of government.
Or to crush whatever little remains of the [limited] private sector. Charters, vouchers, … come on people.. These are mechanisms of mass destruction for whatever little freedom is left out there.
“Or to crush whatever little remains of the [limited] private sector. Charters, vouchers, … come on people.. These are mechanisms of mass destruction for whatever little freedom is left out there.”
Why?
Charlie Sheen jokes expired a month ago.
Because the consumer is king on the market!
Once vouchers are made good for private schools, they will substitute the paying customer for the government. The government then will dictate what to teach and how to teach. The problems of the public schools will simply be shifted to the “private” schools. Now, once again, it will be the business of everyone but the parent and the student on how tax payers money is spent on your child.
I totally agree. The lecturer uses the joke, so I threw it into the title.
As it stands, public schooling is a monopoly service provider that bases school enrollment upon geographic proximity, not on any input from individual choice (besides the district competition inherent in families moving to other areas, which has a large cost).
To claim that the State will colonize all private schools is a bit hyperbolic, in my opinion. This is essentially a step away from that. In fact, as she makes clear, the evidence is already in. I’m well-aware of the slippery slope back into government overreach, but the more steps we take toward total privatization, the better.
To claim that the State that now controls almost all schools will colonize all private schools is a bit what? How about it already happened, which is why you’re in this situation right now.
That video almost brought a tear to my eye. Great stuff.
The issue is quite simple. You use other people’s money to pay for your child’s education, and these other people, especially their self arrogated representatives, will control these schools, directly and/or indirectly.
If you doubt it, please give me a single example of a government voucher (anywhere in the world) with no strings attached.
It is interesting that I can think of no better method to destroy the entire market then by simply giving out vouchers for every conceivable type of service out there. Should make you at least pause and rethink this very statist position of school vouchers.
Nice video but the lecturer needs to get out more.
True dat.
Clayton -
“If you doubt it, please give me a single example of a government voucher (anywhere in the world) with no strings attached.”
The ideal school voucher program is one specifically where the government does not regulate at all, merely gives out vouchers for schools and then the individual chooses this school. The fact is that the private schools are already regulated, even if they are regulated more then the fact is that the quality of education overall in the nation will almost certainly increase through competition.
“It is interesting that I can think of no better method to destroy the entire market then by simply giving out vouchers for every conceivable type of service out there.”
I can, total taxation of profits and mass price fixing. Also, simply because the whole market could not funcion on vouchers does not mean that a piece of the economy could not. Barter is not useable for a large scale economy but bits of the economy can work off of barter.
The reason why vouchers could well be more optimal, from an educational standpoint, than their private alternative, and possibly better in the long run from an economic point of view, is that the vouchers mean that families can only spend this money on thier child’s education, assuming that this is greater than they otherwise would, this is tantamount to an increase in funding to the education industry, however it should also be noticed that this is an investment in human capital which will (assumably under free competition within the industry) lead to larger long term output. If I forced half of the population to save their income then this would lead to a huge increase in investment and act as a boost to capital goods industries. It defies the will of the consumers and prevents the fulfilments of their wants in the now, but with an end which many would find justified
I would like to make it clear that I am an anti-statist, but if government and public education must exist, let it be this kind which people will actually accept and which just makes so much sense.
Charlie Sheen jokes are vatican assassin warlocks. They sneak up and convert you with magic!
I actually am fine with school vouchers. Forced education is contrary to the principles of free education anyway. And why should the poor be subject to the worst schools in the country?
But of course school vouchers substitute market demand for education with government inflated demand for education. I’m not sure it’s something any free-marketeer should be supporting. Maybe if you could not get vouchers for private schools, only to switch to another public school, it would be something matching your ideology
But there’s a reason the poor don’t pay for their kids to go to better private schools. ANd it is not because they like the ones they go to. It’s because they can’t.
But there’s a reason the poor don’t pay for their kids to go to better private schools. ANd it is not because they like the ones they go to. It’s because they can’t.
Well that’s kind of the reason anyone can’t pay for anything.
I know, Lagrange, I was reserving my criticism for the speaker