I find it unfortunate and misleading that those in the school choice movement have decided to use a new term in their attempt to get the government to subsidize private schools. The term ?educational freedom? is now popping up as a synonym for school choice. But in fact true educational freedom is not what the school choice movement is advocating, at least if one accepts the word freedom in the traditional American sense i.e., freedom from coercion. The only way that the choice worshippers use of the term makes sense is if one adopts the standard leftist view of freedom, i.e., freedom from budgetary constraints that might impinge on one?s ability to obtain a desired good or service. So for example, if I can?t afford to eat fillet mignon and lobster every day I do not have ?culinary freedom? or if I cannot afford to put a swimming pool in my back yard I do not have ?recreational freedom.?
Real educational freedom should have a strong appeal to limited government libertarians and conservatives. It implies the elimination of all coercive, i.e., governmental, constraints on the purchase and the provision of educational services and products. It implies that people should have a right to organize themselves in any way they choose for the purpose of either acquiring or providing educational services and for determining what constitutes an education. At the very minimum, educational freedom would imply a number of reforms aimed at eliminating laws sanctioning or prohibiting the acquisition, sale or utilization of any kind of educational services. For example, all remaining restrictions and requirements on homeschooling should be eliminated. This would include the standardized testing requirements, the restrictions on the number of families that can come together for schooling and the requirement that homeschoolers register with the state. Also restrictions on educational cooperatives should be abolished. Ultimately the state should eliminate mandatory attendance laws, which are the most egregious infringement on educational freedom. The reason for this is that mandatory attendance laws give rise to all the other restrictions and requirements. If the state mandates school attendance then it needs to define what a school is. This gives it the right to regulate anything that anyone decides to call a school. Truancy laws are particularly pernicious. They are the tool of those who desire to harass and eliminate the educational nonconformist.
Apparently the school choice advocates have none of this in mind when they use the term educational freedom. In adopting the standard leftist meaning of freedom they appear to simply mean being able to afford as many educational options as possible. As one of these school choice groups defines the term, ?educational freedom means that YOU, the parent, regardless of income, will decide where your child will attend school. Through school vouchers or other programs that allow choice, all families will be treated equally, competition among schools will be fair, and the quality of education will improve.? Therefore, the way they propose to enhance educational freedom is to make private schooling more affordable through government subsidies, vouchers and refundable tax credits. This is not educational freedom it is the extension of educational socialism from the public to the private sector
The danger that this poses to true educational freedom should be of concern to all who value a healthy and autonomous private sector in education.
As an aside here?s my favorite line from the above website. Apparently this is thrown in to head off criticism from cranks like me who are so cynical as to think that with government money will come government control. ?We support policies?protecting parents and schools from undue government regulation and control.? Funny, I can?t think of a single person on the left or right who supports ?undue government regulation and control.? I guess this means that they will be in supporting “due” regulations and controls on schools and parents.
