Libertarian's solution the Education system's problems.

Stuart Mackey · Post by **Stuart Mackey** » 2003-03-26 04:50am

Sounds like fundi heaven to me. Why have science when you can teach the true and literal word of God?
You must have some form of state control, or rather regulation, to ensure that certain standards are met. If they are not being met now, total privatisation is no way to solve the situation as there is no means of ensuring anyeducational standards at all

That article also does not make any concrete sugestions as to how or why its ideas will or can work. Given the proliferation of christian fundiism in American private schools I would have no coinfidence in their mesures at all.

Post by **Edi** » 2003-03-26 05:07am

And we have smackdown!

Yay Stuart!

Edi

The Duchess of Zeon · Post by **The Duchess of Zeon** » 2003-03-26 05:09am

Stuart Mackey wrote:Sounds like fundi heaven to me. Why have science when you can teach the true and literal word of God?
You must have some form of state control, or rather regulation, to ensure that certain standards are met. If they are not being met now, total privatisation is no way to solve the situation as there is no means of ensuring anyeducational standards at all

That article also does not make any concrete sugestions as to how or why its ideas will or can work. Given the proliferation of christian fundiism in American private schools I would have no coinfidence in their mesures at all.

It's not impossible to regulate private companies, you know.

Stuart Mackey · Post by **Stuart Mackey** » 2003-03-26 05:16am

The Duchess of Zeon wrote:
Stuart Mackey wrote:Sounds like fundi heaven to me. Why have science when you can teach the true and literal word of God?
You must have some form of state control, or rather regulation, to ensure that certain standards are met. If they are not being met now, total privatisation is no way to solve the situation as there is no means of ensuring anyeducational standards at all

That article also does not make any concrete sugestions as to how or why its ideas will or can work. Given the proliferation of christian fundiism in American private schools I would have no coinfidence in their mesures at all.
It's not impossible to regulate private companies, you know.

True, it is not, but we are talking about America here. Christian Fundimentalism of the sort that is prevalent in the USA even now exists and is supported by county legislature. If you go and privatise things as suggested in that article it can only get worse, as the parents would be the ones calling the shots.

edit:

there would be no effective government oversight as proposed by this political party

Eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, which spends billions on education and educates no one. The growth of this agency and its numerous regulations is a major reason for runaway costs in American schools.

The Duchess of Zeon · Post by **The Duchess of Zeon** » 2003-03-26 05:17am

Stuart Mackey wrote: True, it is not, but we are talking about America here. Christian Fundimentalism of the sort that is prevalent in the USA even now exists and is supported by county legislature. If you go and privatise things as suggested in that article it can only get worse, as the parents would be the ones calling the shots.

But if parents want their children in a religious school they can do that anyway these days.

Post by **Edi** » 2003-03-26 05:19am

No, but that would just have the same people screaming about government control and trampling citizens' rights.

There must be a universal minimum standard of education, and the only entity that can credibly set that is the government, and it must also be enforced. Whether the implementation of the standards is done through publicly funded schools or privately funded ones is irrelevant, but that is not the real thrust of the argument in that article, or of the great majority of the people who put forth such suggestions.

We've had private schools here that have had the government come down on them like a ton of bricks for not observing madatory standards, and they've bitched and moaned about government interference, and IIRC one got closed down for noncompliance. Stuart got it right in one.

Not that present problems don't need fixing, they do, but wrecking everything is not the way to go.

Edi

Post by **Edi** » 2003-03-26 05:21am

The Duchess of Zeon wrote:
Stuart Mackey wrote: True, it is not, but we are talking about America here. Christian Fundimentalism of the sort that is prevalent in the USA even now exists and is supported by county legislature. If you go and privatise things as suggested in that article it can only get worse, as the parents would be the ones calling the shots.
But if parents want their children in a religious school they can do that anyway these days.

Yes, but even those schools must observe a certain minimum standard of education in order to get accreditation, which means that they can't throw out sciences and teach creationism if they want their diplomas to be valid anywhere other than fundie (non-accredited) institutes.

Edi

Stuart Mackey · Post by **Stuart Mackey** » 2003-03-26 05:23am

The Duchess of Zeon wrote:
Stuart Mackey wrote: True, it is not, but we are talking about America here. Christian Fundimentalism of the sort that is prevalent in the USA even now exists and is supported by county legislature. If you go and privatise things as suggested in that article it can only get worse, as the parents would be the ones calling the shots.
But if parents want their children in a religious school they can do that anyway these days.

True also, but ulimatly, given some displayed tendancies, the choice of a secular school would likly be removed. No government oversight, and too much parental control over the school. Combine this with what exists and you have the perfect opening for creationism and the mindset it brings with it to effectivly eliminate scientific thought and method from schools.