vouchers
Public or Private Education: A Pragmatic View
Natasha argues for pragmatism in this debate. While there may be a theoretical case for public education, there is no inherently better model. Universal public education, as a value, should not interfere with choosing whatever works best in a given situation. Let the perfect not be the enemy of the good.
Rebuttal: Education and the State
My last two posts (here, here) on the role of the state in providing education and conversely questioning that of the private sector, resulted in some very illuminating responses from both sides of the spectrum. As a result, I will soon followup with an additional post highlighting previously unaddressed issues in this debate (and welcome other [...]
Proving the Worth of Public Education
Liberal economists suggest our public schools are terrible, and private schools are the answer. Yet, sufficient evidence exists that public schools are, in many cases, even better than private ones.
Education and the State: Seeking Balance
The failure of India’s primary education system deserves a solution. Yet, privatization is neither necessary, nor sufficient, and cannot be embarked upon without debating the desired balance between quality and equity.
The Economist on Education Vouchers
The Economist is carrying a piece on the success of education vouchers. Sweeping aside criticism from the “education establishment”, The Economist states simply that “they work”.
But these arguments are now succumbing to sheer weight of evidence. Voucher schemes are running in several different countries without ill-effects for social cohesion; those that use a lottery to [...]
Private Education for the Poor Part 2: Evaluating Vouchers
In response to my last post, Private Education for the Poor, Alex pointed me to an article in The Hindu (The Farce of School Choice) specific to the Indian case that is worth discussing. The author Jayati Ghosh shows candidly the limitations of vouchers.
