Re: Let's privatise schools -- It's Debateable

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Subject: Re: Let's privatise schools

Author:
Raisinmom

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Date Posted: 16:15:42 07/06/02 Sat
In reply to: Astrid 's message, "Re: Let's privatise schools" on 10:56:11 07/06/02 Sat

>But my goal would be to see a diversification of
>schools--I would like to see more alternative schools
>and more innovation in schools. I'd like to see high
>risk kids (either LD or high IQ) getting their needs
>met, rather than learning being tailored to the
>average kid.
>
I think that's an excellent goal and agree completely. In particular, I hate that high-IQ kids are left totally high and dry in the public schools out of fear of accusations of "elitism," which bugs the HELL out of me. I mean, the high-IQ kids ARE the mental elite! They should be given different instruction, even if it makes little Jimmy Average (or more accurately, Jimmy's parents) recognize that he is average (gasp). I hate the implication that there is (i) something horrible about being average and (ii) something shameful about being above-average. Sorry, off my soapbox now.

>I think public schools are overly bureaucratic and
>teachers mostly unaccountable (unless they grope or
>molest the kids).

I agree completely once again.

>A private school would be private in that they
>wouldn't be guaranteed gov't funds and would have to
>be competitive in quality in order to survive.

I understand your point. But here's a question: currently, private schools are able to be "competitive" in part because they can kick out students who are underachievers or troublemakers. (Those kids often end up in public schools.) How could the schools of last resort be "competitive" in your scenario? If they kick out the tough cases, where would those kids go? If they can't kick them out, how could the schools be competitive? I agree with you that privitization might encourage alternative schooling approaches that might turn some of these "tough cases" into success stories, but there will always be some who can't be helped. Where do they go? Would the school they go to be exempt from the "competitive" requirement? Isn't that sort of like branding them as lost causes?

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Replies:

Subject	Author	Date
Re: Let's privatise schools	M23	21:02:48 07/06/02 Sat