More Freedom in American Education
Published December 25th, 2005 in News, SchoolsThe recent court case involving the Pennsylvania federal court and the Dover public school district resulted in a loss for the public school district as the courts ruled against the the district’s endorsement of “intelligent design,” the idea that life on Earth was created by a higher being. In the wake of the ruling, Andrew Coulson of the Cato Institute recently wrote an article arguing that the case shows need for more freedom in education.
I am not going to discuss the whole article, just a couple of points.
Now, he states that:
By offering tax relief to middle-income families, and tuition scholarships to those with lower incomes, we could bring independent schooling within reach of every family.
Such a system can be designed, using tax credits for both personal use and for donations to private scholarship funds, in such a way that no government money is spent on education.
Indeed, if there is any possibility at all for universal independent schooling, I have little doubt that America would be a most possible candidate. Both doctrine and funding have force few limits over the necessary changes that must be made.
However, is it not possible to leave science to science and religion to religion? Can’t biology classes advocate the idea of evolution, while religious studies advocate “intelligent design”? The choice to believe either one should lie with the student, right?
Yes, the choice should lie with the student. However, the education system must then be adjusted so that students are taught from a young age to question and make decisions for themselves, rather than assume everything they are taught is correct; and no educational system wants that before university age.
My thoughts on evolution and intelligent design are here.
Pi.
You are correct. But if indeed the goal is to foster intellectual curiosity and independent thinking, a more logical step to take would seem to be a reform of the state-run education system.
Independent schooling seems to be suggested as a means of solving the problems related to the choice between the alternatives rather than in fostering independent thinking. Even in Coulson’s article, he states that “…within the structure of our existing education system…” (emphasis mine) it is not possible to ensure freedom in education. If so, then we should just change the system.
Of course, this is unless both systems are deemed correct and that neither is better than the other. From what I see, we would then be suggesting that state-run schools must promote rote-learning, while independent schooling does otherwise because there should be a choice between the two.