Comments on: More thoughts on “deregulating education” http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2005/08/16/more-thoughts-on-deregulating-education/ Tue, 14 Oct 2008 01:50:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Wesley Fryer http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2005/08/16/more-thoughts-on-deregulating-education/#comment-30486 Wesley Fryer Mon, 29 Jan 2007 07:39:28 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2005/08/16/more-thoughts-on-deregulating-education/#comment-30486 I heartily DO support public charter schools. For some reason my understanding of the difference between VOUCHERS and charter schools was not clear at the time I wrote this post, but since I have become convinced public charter schools can be a very constructive and positive part of the educational reforms we need in the United States. Although I strongly support religious freedom and the exercise of religious faith, I don't support public religious charter schools, however. I heartily DO support public charter schools. For some reason my understanding of the difference between VOUCHERS and charter schools was not clear at the time I wrote this post, but since I have become convinced public charter schools can be a very constructive and positive part of the educational reforms we need in the United States. Although I strongly support religious freedom and the exercise of religious faith, I don’t support public religious charter schools, however.

]]> By: Wesley Fryer http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2005/08/16/more-thoughts-on-deregulating-education/#comment-40 Wesley Fryer Wed, 28 Sep 2005 20:00:09 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2005/08/16/more-thoughts-on-deregulating-education/#comment-40 I share your concerns. I think a fundamental goal of many people is reforming the public school system: increasing expectations of student performance and achievement, so they graduate with the knowledge and skills they need for vocational and life success. I agree we cannot just say "let the kids go to private schools" because that leaves so many kids behind who have no choice but to attend public schools. So how do we reform and constructively change public education? That is the question. I share your concerns. I think a fundamental goal of many people is reforming the public school system: increasing expectations of student performance and achievement, so they graduate with the knowledge and skills they need for vocational and life success. I agree we cannot just say “let the kids go to private schools” because that leaves so many kids behind who have no choice but to attend public schools. So how do we reform and constructively change public education? That is the question.

]]> By: Bill Riedel http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2005/08/16/more-thoughts-on-deregulating-education/#comment-38 Bill Riedel Tue, 27 Sep 2005 06:24:42 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2005/08/16/more-thoughts-on-deregulating-education/#comment-38 DON’T PROVIDE PUBLIC MONEY TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS This is to warn you to beware of letting any public money go to private schools, in light of disastrous problem this is causing here in Australia. About 40 years ago, the Federal government started to give some funds to poor Catholic schools so that they could upgrade their libraries, science labs, and things like that. Subsequently, lobbyists for the private school industry became ever more successful at gaining access to public funds. Private schools have therefore proliferated. Public funds have enabled them to keep fees low enough to attract students who would otherwise go to public schools. About a third of Australia’s children now go to private schools and that proportion continues to increase, with no end in sight. Private schools now receive about a half of their operating expenses from government sources. In fact it may often be well over 50%. When I enquired at a local Lutheran high school I was told that their contribution from the government is about 62% - even though this is a fairly prosperous region. On top of that, a few years ago the Federal government started making funds available also for building construction at private schools!! If this tendency continues, it won’t be long before the majority of children will be in private schools, and the public schools will be no more than detention centers of the most disadvantaged, worst behaved children, staffed by teachers and administrators who can’t find a position in ever-more-desirable private schools. It bothers me that children are not given a reasonably even chance to develop their potential. Worse than that, the system here exacerbates the tendency toward a two-tier society, the haves and the have-nots. Of course there will always be people better-off, and others worse-off, but disadvantaged children should not be discriminated against by the system of schools. Because this situation has been developing for 40 years, parents have gradually come to believe that it is the way things have to be. They seem incapable of conceiving an alternative. When I talk to them, they constantly bring up a few points that have become the common wisdom - if the private schools were shut down, the public schools could not accommodate all the children. Perfectly true, but equally stupid. No-one would think of reducing their numbers suddenly, but only by a sensibly measured pace of reduction of their government funding, which would then go toward strengthening the public system. public schools don’t put enough stress on “values”. Of course they don’t (nor should they) stress the values of any particular religion, but I’m sure that they instill moral human values. Parents can influence the values taught in public schools. parents deserve a “choice” of schools for their children. The public system offers a wide spectrum of kinds of school, and would offer more if the voters demanded. The only choice they don’t offer is that of religion. If parents want to use religious schools, they should pay the full cost and not be helped by the government. Homes and churches provide plenty of opportunity for teaching of religion. any government that proposed reducing funds to private schools would be out on their ear in no time. That may be true, but maybe not. A courageous party should advocate this as a step toward strengthening the public school system. They might be pleasantly surprised by the public's positive response at the polls. The system now in place in Australia is clearly a failed experiment, and the people have a terribly difficult job ahead of them to avoid destruction of the public school system. DON’T PROVIDE PUBLIC MONEY TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS

This is to warn you to beware of letting any public money go to private schools, in light of disastrous problem this is causing here in Australia.

About 40 years ago, the Federal government started to give some funds to poor Catholic schools so that they could upgrade their libraries, science labs, and things like that. Subsequently, lobbyists for the private school industry became ever more successful at gaining access to public funds. Private schools have therefore proliferated. Public funds have enabled them to keep fees low enough to attract students who would otherwise go to public schools. About a third of Australia’s children now go to private schools and that proportion continues to increase, with no end in sight.

Private schools now receive about a half of their operating expenses from government sources. In fact it may often be well over 50%. When I enquired at a local Lutheran high school I was told that their contribution from the government is about 62% - even though this is a fairly prosperous region. On top of that, a few years ago the Federal government started making funds available also for building construction at private schools!!

If this tendency continues, it won’t be long before the majority of children will be in private schools, and the public schools will be no more than detention centers of the most disadvantaged, worst behaved children, staffed by teachers and administrators who can’t find a position in ever-more-desirable private schools.

It bothers me that children are not given a reasonably even chance to develop their potential. Worse than that, the system here exacerbates the tendency toward a two-tier society, the haves and the have-nots. Of course there will always be people better-off, and others worse-off, but disadvantaged children should not be discriminated against by the system of schools.

Because this situation has been developing for 40 years, parents have gradually come to believe that it is the way things have to be. They seem incapable of conceiving an alternative. When I talk to them, they constantly bring up a few points that have become the common wisdom -

if the private schools were shut down, the public schools could not accommodate all the children. Perfectly true, but equally stupid. No-one would think of reducing their numbers suddenly, but only by a sensibly measured pace of reduction of their government funding, which would then go toward strengthening the public system.

public schools don’t put enough stress on “values”. Of course they don’t (nor should they) stress the values of any particular religion, but I’m sure that they instill moral human values. Parents can influence the values taught in public schools.

parents deserve a “choice” of schools for their children. The public system offers a wide spectrum of kinds of school, and would offer more if the voters demanded. The only choice they don’t offer is that of religion. If parents want to use religious schools, they should pay the full cost and not be helped by the government. Homes and churches provide plenty of opportunity for teaching of religion.

any government that proposed reducing funds to private schools would be out on their ear in no time. That may be true, but maybe not. A courageous party should advocate this as a step toward strengthening the public school system. They might be pleasantly surprised by the public’s positive response at the polls.

The system now in place in Australia is clearly a failed experiment, and the people have a terribly difficult job ahead of them to avoid destruction of the public school system.

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