EDUCATION

As students return to schools all across the country, perhaps a discussion about education would be appropriate. From a capitalist point of view, some would argue that the purpose of public education is to provide training to enter the work force. The basics of reading, writing and arithmetic are taught to provide a foundation of which to build on once a person graduates to on-the-job training. However, the democratic argument suggests that the purpose is to promote an informed citizenry. Therefore, an exposure to history, sociology etc benefits society as a whole because people learn about their roles and responsibilities. Obviously, both arguments merit equal consideration and should continue to be pursued. Further, no one can dispute that each and every child in this country should receive the educational services provided by the public. The most pressing question today, however, is how does government ensure the quality of educational services?

The public school system today continues to fail at educating our children both in terms of job training and citizen awareness. The most powerful country to ever exist on planet earth continues to lag behind other countries when it comes the very basics expected of this institution. The reason for this is because of the bureaucratic non-incentives consistent with government waste. Teachers are not held accountable as a unit manager would be held accountable for their unit achieving objectives in a private corporation. They are also not rewarded financially for the success of their students when it comes to test results. And the biggest benefactor of all, private enterprise is not required to reinvest in an educational system that provides free training to future employees. The time for privatization of public education is long overdue. We as a country need to finally get serious about training and educating our future citizens. It is time to use corporate property tax along with personal property tax as a means of funding schools. Educational facilities from pre-schools to colleges and universities need to be converted to entities of private enterprise whereby an education is crafted as the finest product available to United States citizens. Along with this transition would be the disciplinary environment so desperately needed in our schools today. If a co-worker or boss were struck by an employee, they would be fired and possibly jailed. The same code needs to exist in schools today. Furthermore, a greater effort needs to be made in determining where one fits in the skills and abilities matrix. Spending more time and attention to the criss-cross of what one enjoys doing with what one is good at doing would make a profound difference on our society. Education is a public good no less or important than national defense, environmental quality etc but it is the means of providing that good that most importantly needs to change.