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The realities of school choice
By: Neal Boortz | Submitted on: 07/28/08EDITORIAL - Sweden, of all places, is enjoying the fruits of a school choice system. Although Swedes are a true cradle-to-grave welfare society, their reformed system of school choice is gaining a lot of attention abroad. The program came to be in 1992 when a conservative government briefly had power. While that didn't last long, their school choice system did – it was so popular among Swedes that the opposing party kept the program once in retained power of the government.
The system is easy ... you decide what school you want to attend. What a concept! These "independent schools" can choose their own teaching methods, staff and manage their own buildings. And since the program was instituted back in 1992, the number of private high schools has increased from 1.7% to 17%.
Now, the schools in Sweden are still funded by the government – they aren't allowed to charge tuition. However, their government funding goes to private companies, which in turn run the schools and are able to keep whatever taxpayer money they save by running an efficient "business." Of course, the idea of evil corporations making a profit irks some Swedes. But in the end, these schools are growing rapidly. On the Stockholm Stock Exchange, the largest private school operator's net profit rose 33% to $3million in the first quarter of this year.
Andrew Coulson, an education expert at the Cato Institute, says the Swedish program is "a beacon, being more market-like than any other among rich countries." And yet American presidential hopeful Barack Obama would rather that the government-run the education system in this country. He would rather your child get a mediocre education than allow for you to have the choice of where to send your child to be educated. It's not really about education, it's about capitalism.
The biggest roadblock in the way to a similar system in this country? Teacher's unions. The most powerful unions in the country ... and unions that donate time and money almost exclusively to Democrats. Look back at the Swedish system. If the parents can chose the schools, then this means that the schools have to compete for the students. This means teachers have to perform or their school loses students AND money. God forbid teachers should have to perform and compete for students.
The system is easy ... you decide what school you want to attend. What a concept! These "independent schools" can choose their own teaching methods, staff and manage their own buildings. And since the program was instituted back in 1992, the number of private high schools has increased from 1.7% to 17%.
Now, the schools in Sweden are still funded by the government – they aren't allowed to charge tuition. However, their government funding goes to private companies, which in turn run the schools and are able to keep whatever taxpayer money they save by running an efficient "business." Of course, the idea of evil corporations making a profit irks some Swedes. But in the end, these schools are growing rapidly. On the Stockholm Stock Exchange, the largest private school operator's net profit rose 33% to $3million in the first quarter of this year.
Andrew Coulson, an education expert at the Cato Institute, says the Swedish program is "a beacon, being more market-like than any other among rich countries." And yet American presidential hopeful Barack Obama would rather that the government-run the education system in this country. He would rather your child get a mediocre education than allow for you to have the choice of where to send your child to be educated. It's not really about education, it's about capitalism.
The biggest roadblock in the way to a similar system in this country? Teacher's unions. The most powerful unions in the country ... and unions that donate time and money almost exclusively to Democrats. Look back at the Swedish system. If the parents can chose the schools, then this means that the schools have to compete for the students. This means teachers have to perform or their school loses students AND money. God forbid teachers should have to perform and compete for students.
Neal Boortz, the Talkmaster, Mighty Whitey and The High Priest of The Church of the Painful Truth, is a nationally-syndicated radio host of the Neal Boortz show.
