Free education 'it's a myth'

Free education 'it's a myth'

stuff.co.nz

The decile funding system means schools with more pupils from low-income households receive a bigger share of state funding, while high-decile schools in rich areas get less.

Wellington College is a decile 10 school and headmaster Roger Moses said higher-decile schools now raised more than half their income from fees, international students and donations, but were censured by the Education Review Office if cash requests were not "voluntary"

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Really if compulsory fees were introduced it would have to be across the board and schools in low income areas would charge parents fees for what ever project they had in mind and this would make life difficulty for those who struggle to pay the bills already.

I wouldn't have a problem if only schools in high income areas charged compulsory fees but how do you define what a high income area is keep up with changing demographics ?

I think that it should be one or the other no one should have to pay taxes and then face a bill from there children school. I am against zoning rules and I would have no problem if schools could take over there counter parts that aren't doing so well but lets not bill people twice.

stuff.co.nz
(visit the link for the full news article)

"It is an immutable economic fact that there is no such thing as a free lunch."--Leonard P. Ayres

en.wikipedia.org...

Concentration Campus

Giving government control of education ensures only that the government will decide what the next generation of citizens will think.

Down that road lies madness.

I agree government having too much control over what we learn is dangerous, but as for free education.....

What is the cost of not educating someone? The results are not really cost free.

Originally posted by redled
I agree government having too much control over what we learn is dangerous, but as for free education.....

That is indeed true it is hard to strike a balance between ensuring that kids the education they have a right to to and keeping government intrusion to a min. I don't support "free" education at varsity level but you expect a young child to take on such responsibles.

What is the cost of not educating someone? The results are not really cost free.

I most certainly agree with you education is one of the corners stone of society.
The question do you give people a tax cut and let schools bill parents at market rates ?
If you let the market decided the cost of school fees what happens when the cost of school fees is greater then the amount people have gained in tax cuts ?
While I wouldn't have any problem with the private sector building schools in NZ there would have to regulations in place there is no way we afford to have the private sector run parts of the education system like they did Air New Zealand and the Rail system.

Some there is the middle road that needs to be taken.

[edit on 27-10-2007 by xpert11]

reply to post by xpert11


I find your question quite difficult to answer. In Britain you either have state education (approx 92% children), paid for by the government, or you go private and get no refund. This is not actually how it works, schools are allocated monies per child to both give choice and competition. This new system is bedding in, and the specialist schools it is designed to create have not had time to really take root. However, pre-university, all transactions are between the government and the schools and the finances are invisible to the standard parent. It all comes out of tax I suppose, but it seems clear to me that if we discussed tax credits, I would be (in terms of education) on territory I know nothing about.

Originally posted by Majic
Concentration Campus

Giving government control of education ensures only that the government will decide what the next generation of citizens will think.

Down that road lies madness.

True. After nearly 200 years of public education, the electorate voted for George W Bush, twice, got more federal intrusion in the form of No Child Left Behind and a bubble score test sheet to prove you're worthy of existence.

Madness.