We need to free education from the grip of government
After a great deal of reading and research, we have come to the conclusion that the solution to our country’s abysmal education system is to push for radical change.
Most of us agree that something needs to be done to reform the education system so that our children actually are educated — keeping in mind that schooling does not necessarily equate to education. Many reforms have been proposed and enacted with little or no positive results; mostly, they are just nibbling around the edges without addressing the real problems.
Many researchers and writers have identified systemic problems with some reasonable solutions. For example, it has been shown over and over again that teachers unions are a major stumbling block to effective education.
There is also the overbearing interference from the various levels of government. Historical research shows that education in the U.S. started its precipitous decline with the rise of the Progressive era. Some researchers have pointed out that there are racial and gender gaps in learning that have been ignored or inadequately addressed by the “education bureaucracies.”
Mostly, what we hear from the bureaucrats and teachers unions is “give us more money.”
Research and simply reading the many variations of the same graphs show that spending keeps going up with negligible education results within the public schools.
Another major hindrance to public school education is overall teacher quality.
There are many fine and dedicated teachers with the desire to, and who do, provide a good educational experience. However, too many are incompetent or simply disinterested in educating our children and, because of the union’s choke hold on the system, it is nearly impossible to fire a bad teacher.
The research shows that, on average, college/university students in teaching programs have significantly lower SAT scores than students majoring in other disciplines and yet have a higher grade point average, suggesting grade inflation.
A further important problem in the public schools is the political indoctrination of students in the Progressive ideology of socialist Statism.
The Supreme Court ruled that parents are responsible for the education of their children. The solution to solving the education crisis is to eliminate government from education.
This means abolishing federal and state departments of education, a commensurate elimination of taxes allocated to education and laws that discourage or block parental choice, as well as those compulsory school attendance laws, to allow a free market in education to develop. The elimination of government interference must be accomplished fairly quickly so as to keep the current vested interests from sabotaging the changeover.
If the above were not true, why do we see home-schooling increasing at a dramatic rate and an increasing push for school choice among all parent/student groups?
If the free market is allowed to develop, we would see a variety of private schools start up. Those that more fully met the education needs of families would thrive, while others would close, thus freeing up resources.
Some argue that poor children would suffer without government, but we say that they underestimate the philanthropy of our non-progressive citizens and the impact of other market solutions.
One of the most effective education regimes currently in place, homeschooling, would explode. Another change that would take place is the elimination of the politically influenced textbook publishing that is currently controlled by a few large states.
We need to free education from the cancerous grip of government if we are to grow and prosper in a free society.