Chewing An Idea

I've been reading Market Education, which is an excellent book on the history of public education as an institution, and as an idea throughout history. One of the charges that the author levies (and supports) is that the purpose of public schools is not, and indeed has never been, the education of its students. The purpose is to indoctrinate them with the approved State Ideology. Indeed, the history of government schools has been one conflict after another between parents that want to teach their children knowledge and values that will prepare them for leading a happy and productive life vs. the government bereaucrats that see it as their duty to mold the children in their charge into "Good Citizens."

Whether it's converting the children of Irish Catholic Immigrants to Protestantism in the 1840's, or training children in the dogma of Environmentalism in current era, the conflicts have remained the same in their essentials. Whether it's illegal to teach Evolution in science class (as it was in the early 20th Century), or illegal to teach Creationism in sciense class (as it is now), it remains that groups are fighting to use political power to get their particular world view presented to other people's children through the power of the State.

I'm starting to see the issue of public schools in the same light that many in this country already see the issue of the separation of Church and State. The State should not endorse a particular religion, nor should any religious organization wield state power. The individual administrators may themselves adhere to a religion in a personal sense, but not as an agent of State authority. Should the line between church and state be breached, the effect would be a State Religion. Whether this religion is an official State Religion codified into a dogma, or an unofficial hodge-podge of randomly selected ideas doesn't matter. The State simply should not be in the business of approving ideas.

But if the State is going to pay for the education of the nation's children, then it must take an interest in the quality of the education is pay's for. Whether the schools are administered by the State or payed for by vouchers doesn't matter; the State has an obligation to ensure that its money is being spent wisely. This necessarily means that the State must set standards for both the content and method of educational systems. This means that the State must take on the role of approver of ideas.

Who decides what content and methodoligcal approaches should be used in the public school? Castro, in Cuba; whichever political faction happens to have control of the local, State, or National education bereaucracy in the U.S..

Conservatives and Libertarians often advocate vouchers to allow private schools to "compete" with public schools on the premise that "competition" will make public schools better. This is a bastardization of the concept of economic competition, and will only result in the government extending its power over any private schools that accept the vouchers, and destroying any private schools that are left. This will happen, not from any particular malice or conspiracy on the part of government bereaucrats, but as a natural consequence of government money in the realm of education. Further, the next time conservatives get a grip on the education system, they'll drop vouchers and implement their own version of the State Ideology just as they have done in the past; and don't think that they're not trying.

I'm beginning to think that the issue of public education is the single most important domestic issue that this country is facing. I'm struck by how the existence of public schools is so throughly non-controversial in our culture. I'm struck by how many students coming out of public schools, and even colleges without basic critical thinking skills. I'm struck by how difficult it is for people I talk to even imagine an alternative the public school system, or any other politically correct idea. The very concept of political correctness demonstrate what I was talking about earlier--an implied State Ideology; not currently enforced as a matter of law, but certainly taught as a matter of law.

I've got more reading and thinking to do. Thanks for reading.