February 8, 2007

• The Exciting Topic of School Vouchers!

  The general trend has been that the Republicans emphasize freedom by offering more choices, and the Democrats have empasized equality through programs like Affirmitive Action and Social Security. 

  School vouchers give people the freedom to choose from more schools, thus leveling out the playing field more than it currently is--thereby advocating equality.  So how anyone can oppose this I do not understand.

  There are a couple of objections. 

  1.  Where would the government get the money to fund school vouchers?
  Easy.  Instead of putting America's tax money into the public school system, put them into vouchers.

  2.  Well that's not fair!  Wouldn't everyone leave the public schools thus causing them to close?
  Just because a school is public, does not mean the education is bad.  Generally private school education is better, but not always.  Thus it won't neccessarily be all the public schools that close down.

  3.  That's still not fair!  Schools would have to close down!  Isn't that bad?
  No.  If a school has poor education, the students should have the choice to leave.  If a school has good education, then the students will want to stay.  The BAD schools will shut down thereby creating a more competitive environment in which schools will have to up the ante of their curriculum if they want to survive.  Teachers will have to have more motivation in order to maintain a job as well.

  4.  What about all the teachers who might be fired?
  What about them?  America's economy has thrived due to capitalistic competition.  America's education will thrive due to an increase in educational competition.  If a teacher loses his or her job due to lackadaisical behavior, then it is no different than the all the other thousands of Americans who have to work to keep their jobs.  School vouchers do not allow the opportunity for being too comfortable in one's job.

  5.  What about school size?  Won't schools fill up?
  Where one school fills up, another can open.  Besides, there are plenty of academically great schools that are far from capacity and there are plenty of terrible schools that are overflowing with children.

  6.  Most of the academically rigorous schools are private, and most of those are affiliated with religion in one or the other, how can the government fund school vouchers without violating the separation between Church and State?
  The vouchers are not going directly to the schools; they are given to the families to spend on what school they will.  This principle is no different then that of Social Security.  The government sends Social Security checks to the elderly or widowed (through our taxes), and these recipients can spend the money as they wish.  They can give the money to their church or not.  Just like the children can give this money to a religious school or not.  If the government does not allow for this choice, then they are taking away the children's freedom of religion by not allowing them to go to a school that supports their beliefs. 

  School vouchers will open up opportunities for underpriveleged children to attend schools normally filled with the children of the elite and wealthy.  School vouchers will also cause an amelioration of America's educational system due to heightened competition.  Why would we want to prevent this?

  • 12:00 am
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