Defenders of strict church/state separation and secular government also defend secular public education by opposing schemes to use vouchers to funnel public funds to private, religious schools. Secular public schools are an important foundation for secular democracy in America, bringing together children of diverse backgrounds into a common educational system and experience. Sending school funds to private, religious schools would undermine secular government as well as secular education.
1. Private School Advantage? What Advantage?
Many studies, like those administered by the National Assessment of Educational Progress, indicate that public schools are generally on equal footing with private schools. Students doing the same coursework perform about equally in both institutions. Studies which show otherwise tend to fail to factor out things like income level, educational level of parents, learning disabilities, etc. When such things are taken into account, we get a dramatically different picture and this reveals that private schools aren't really better than public schools. Studies also consistently show that the students who do best are those whose parents are most actively involved in their kids' education — something that vouchers won't change.2. Public Schools Aren't Failing
The idea that public schools are failing is a popular myth, but not really supported by the facts. If we look at long-term trends reported by the National Assessment of Educational Progress, commonly referred to as "The Nation's Report Card," we find that the reading scores for 17-year-olds were about the same in 1999 as in 1973. That's pretty impressive in a culture turning increasingly towards visual entertainment. Math scores have actually improved over those than in the early '70s and science scores, which dropped from 1969-82, are getting strong again.3. Why Should The Public Pay To Send Children To Private Schools?
Although it would be nice for poor children to attend good private schools if the parents wish, that doesn't mean that it is the government's responsibility to fund it. Insofar as the government has an obligation to see that everyone gets a basic education, that is fulfilled by the creation and maintenance of public schools. If private schools wish to have such children attend, they can offer scholarships, as many already do.4. Vouchers Do Not Really Save Money
Whatever the cost of private school education, voucher systems typically will force the government to subsidize the cost of such education for students already attending private schools. That would cost the taxpayers billions of extra dollars they do not presently have to pay.5. Private School Survival?
If the public wants private schools to survive, they can donate money or authorize the government to grant those institutions some special funds — at no point is it necessary for the government to subsidize the education of specific students there. People who really do value the free market will recognize that the survival of such schools are not automatically the responsibility of the government.6. Free Market Competition?
The effect of free-market competition upon bloated, non-competitive industries is often praised, but the idea of the free-market improving an industry depends on the existence of real competition, but there would be no real competition between public and private schools. Public schools must fund the transportation of students, whereas private schools have no such requirement. Public schools must abide by a whole host of governmental regulations on how to treat children, how to maintain buildings, race, religion, disabilities, etc., ad nauseam. Private schools have few such restrictions which they must abide by, especially religious schools.7. Public Schools Will Become Dumping Grounds For The Unwanted
Private schools are free to pick and choose whomever they wish as students, freely discriminating for reasons of race, religion, disability, cost to educate, whatever — they can refuse admission or expel students for any reason whatsoever. Public schools must, except in extreme cases, accept whomever wishes to apply, including those with expensive physical or learning disabilities, behavioral disorders, contagious diseases, or language deficiencies. Most private schools can avoid the costs and problems of educating unusual and special needs students. This is one way that voucher advocates can claim that the per capita education costs are lower at private schools than at public schools.8. Public Schools Would Be Robbed Of Critical Funding
The funding of voucher schemes is accomplished by skimming money from already poorly financed public education budgets, possibly causing deep cuts in transportation costs, security, classroom improvements, repairs, supplies, and staff. Inner city schools could find themselves in even worse situations than they presently are. There is a great deal of reverse-class envy sweeping the country, with middle- and upper-class people balking at paying to fund social services which are designed to help the poor survive with a bit of dignity. This is really no different, since these people are looking for ways to stop paying to educate poor minorities, another part of the creation of a permanent underclass in America.9. Bad Schools Could Take Advantage Of A Voucher System
Bizarre religious or political groups, cults, and even profiteers may be allowed to operate schools and receive public funding for doing so. Immune from government oversight, they'll be free to pursue whatever goals they may have, even including child abuse. The only way to avoid this is to subject schools which receive vouchers to strict regulations. That, however, would force the government to become more deeply entangled with religion than is constitutional — but the more regulations and restrictions which are imposed upon private schools, the less they will differ from public schools, thus undermining some of the ostensible reasons for vouchers in the first place!10. There Is No Double-Taxation
Parents who use private schools are only taxed once: when they pay public school taxes. Private school fees are not a tax, they are a voluntary payment to a private institution. Choosing to replace or supplement a public service with a private company does not mean one should get a refund. People who hire private security firms do not receive money from the police, people who install private pools do not receive refunds because they do not use public pools, and people who drive cars don't receive vouchers from public transit systems. Public services offer direct and indirect benefits to society as a whole and all individuals, even when those not immediately using them.
