Over the past 3 days, I've contended that government schools produce mediocre results at high cost. They stifle creativity and independent thought, and they propagandize for the government.

I'll go so far as to say that they really don't qualify as places of learning, but rather as compuslory day-care centers for ages 5 through 17. Certainly, some learning takes place there, but children learn whether they're in school or not. Government has no more business in education than it does in religion. Control of education is a method employed by tyrants; it has NO place in a nation that places any value on individual liberty.

I could show you analysis that compares public and private schools, and analysis about homeschooling, but it would prove little. It's generally accepted that students of private schools and homeschooling are more successful students, and at lower cost, but even if you can't accept that, remember that all alternatives to public schools are seriously handicapped by our having to first support the public schools. If alternatives only do as well as public schools, there is great cause for hope.

Education is not about numbers, it's about learning. There is no question that we are paying enough to expect good learning for our children. Ask any good, experienced teacher if he or she would be willing to teach 10 to 15 students for $100,000/year and I don't think you'll wait long for an answer. For many of them, it would be an opportunity they've longed for... a chance to do what they know they can do. Then, consider 3 or 4 good teachers working together to educate several dozen students... a little economy of scale, but still probably administration-free. All of these situations exist now, but again, for those who can afford to pay twice.

Think back to your own education, to what you liked and didn't like. We all learn differently. Some of us are graphical thinkers, others more language-oriented. Some grasp at concepts and leap ahead, while other consider carefully before moving on. I've known individuals who retain tremendous amounts of information but seem to learn little of use to themselves. Others have ability to coalesce information in ways that will reward them personally, even though they don't remember details... and all sorts of learners in between those extremes. 

If you have children, you may already know quite a bit about how they best learn. You probably also have a clear idea of what sort of things you would like your child to learn and be exposed to... and your preferences are probably not the same as those of your friends or neighbors. Some would love to have their children exposed to arts of all kind... to music, to literature, while others would favor technical skills... math, science, etc. Some might choose a concentration on the practical skills of living... economics, negotiation, or business. Some might want a concentration on social skills.

Imagine the variety of learning opportunities that would be available to you if we were rid of our burdensome public school system. Imagine being able to interview teachers and schools to find those who you think are best suited for your children. Imagine competition for your education dollars. Imagine how your school will treat you... not just a concerned parent, but as a paying customer. Imagine being able to choose a different school easily, for whatever reason you deem important. Imagine having enough extra money to afford to spend the time to teach your children yourself. Imagine your children being in a learning environment virtually tailored to them... designed to engage them with excitement for learning.

Can you imagine? What I'm describing is so far above where we are now that it's difficult, isn't it? We're so deep in the government school hole that the sky is hard to see.

How can we get there? What must be done?
We have to get rid of the financial burden of supporting public schools. We have to get rid of all laws and regulations concerning education. A free system of education cannot be controlled or regulated by government in ANY way... no teacher certification by government, no regulatory requirements, no curriculum requirements, and no attendance requirements... not even "minimum requirements". We must have none of that if we want the best possible choices.

Some of you are no doubt thinking... "that would be fine for me... I'm responsible, but what about the people who would not spend a dime on educating their children, or those who would make bad choices"?

That is the "reasoning" that led us into this government school trap... thinking that we know better than others, and that we have a right to choose for them... to FORCE them to choose as we choose, and it leads inevitably to where we are now... mired in ONE massive bureaucratic, constrained, confused, wasteful amalgam that satisfies none of us.

There will always be a very few who will make bad choices or be irresponsible. That's true even now, in spite of a multitude of laws and regulations. Judging from history, there are so very few that don't value education that peer pressure alone is enough to shape them up. If they are truly negligent or abusive, the law can step in on those grounds, but those you might think would be irresponsible... the poor... have traditionally had a natural respect for education, knowing that it's critical to getting out of poverty, so don't underestimate the poor. For those still concerned about the poor, I offer you this advice from the Alliance for the Separation of School & State:

"Competition, innovation, and unity of purpose between parent and teacher can bring the cost of good schooling down by 50-75% of government schools. Separation will allow a $300 billion tax cut. This means 2/3 of the population can afford tuition and will have $200 billion left over. We can prudently predict an increase of $20-25 billion in charitable giving to assist the 1/3 of parents who will need help to cover part or most of the tuition."

All we need is the ability to spend our education dollars where we choose. Do we spend food dollars where we choose? Do we spend housing dollars where we choose? Are they less critical than education?

Some may choose to keep their children where they are. Oddly, nobody seems to think very many would choose public schools if they had a choice. If that's correct, it should ELIMINATE any further discussion.

We need to stop falling for the lies that schools will improve if we sacrifice more money on them. More money is clearly not the answer. Reform is also NOT the answer. Government is the problem in education, and there is no solution short of simply removing government control from it.

The number of parents finding some way to rescue their children from government schools will continue to increase each year. As that happens, public schools will gradually become a more miserable hovel for children of parents too poor to have an alternative.

We can stand by and watch as politicians and teacher unions fight to protect their own interests by trying to handicap alternative schools, or we can challenge them with the words of Isabel Paterson, whose formal education consisted of two years in a tiny log schoolhouse:

"Do you think nobody would willingly entrust his children to you or pay you for teaching them? Why do you have to extort your fees and collect your pupils by compulsion?"

We have suffered with government schools far too long. It's time to demand of our representatives that government get out of the way and allow us to recreate what was once the best educated society in history. There is no excuse for any child having to think of themselves as a survivor of school.