tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1331071225961603592.post7531431274946430040..comments2023-11-02T00:38:16.998-07:00Comments on FORTRESS FREEDOM: Vouchers for Education - a first thoughtUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1331071225961603592.post-43842558897861780612007-10-29T06:00:00.000-07:002007-10-29T06:00:00.000-07:00Richard, there is no deadweight cost:Only 7% or so...Richard, there is no deadweight cost:<BR/><BR/>Only 7% or so of kids go private. Indeed, the money spent on their vouchers would be 'wasted'.<BR/><BR/>But ... as long as the vouchers are less than average spend per state pupil (anything as much as £8,000 depending on which stat's you believe) then the overall cost of education system would go DOWN and/or the amount spent on kids you remain in pure state schools could go UP. <BR/><BR/>As I posted <A HREF="http://markwadsworth.blogspot.com/2007/10/education-spending.html" REL="nofollow">here</A>.Mark Wadsworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07733511175178098449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1331071225961603592.post-89853072045014481712007-10-28T14:02:00.000-07:002007-10-28T14:02:00.000-07:00This addresses the well-know "dead weight" problem...This addresses the well-know "dead weight" problem with vouchers - which is that there is a a big cost in subsidising those that already buy private educationRichard Gadsdenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10545595590359552775noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1331071225961603592.post-43325687826917188242007-10-27T16:42:00.000-07:002007-10-27T16:42:00.000-07:00Just ticking the get follow-ups box :)And I look f...Just ticking the get follow-ups box :)<BR/><BR/>And I look forward to reading your suggestions.Tristanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15395992764678278326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1331071225961603592.post-55644195850946880052007-10-27T16:40:00.000-07:002007-10-27T16:40:00.000-07:00One major flaw in your thinking - you assume that ...One major flaw in your thinking - you assume that the same schools and same number of schools will exist and they will operate in the same way as now.<BR/><BR/>For the system to work you need to ensure that new schools are easy to set up and that schools are able to experiment with how they teach and what they teach.<BR/><BR/>The other side is that failing schools will go out of business because they cannot get the pupils.<BR/><BR/>The situation you describe as possibly happening also happens today, with the added effect that those who have the ability are held back by those who disrupt the education. There is also a great deal of fatalism in parents, especially poorer ones, there is no opportunity to better the chances of their children so why bother? At least with this, more scholarships will be available (schools could raise their fees slightly and include a wider range of wealth and use the extra to provide scholarships) and people have the opportunity to change the schools and to seek out the best education. If they fail to do that, then there is nothing that can be done, I believe however that most people will.<BR/><BR/>A great example of poor people doing that were the Harlem Shop Front Schools, poor people in Harlem set up schools of their own and paid for it themselves to give their children an education (then the state got involved and they went downhill).<BR/><BR/>I think you over estimate the desire and ability of the poorest in society to help themselves if given the opportunity.Tristanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15395992764678278326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1331071225961603592.post-66466074492867944372007-10-27T07:48:00.000-07:002007-10-27T07:48:00.000-07:00I think that the Netherlands is a special case, in...I think that the Netherlands is a special case, in that parents can choose a public school or a religious school for their vouchers, but not a private school. Private school attendees must may the full fees out of their own pocket IIRC.<BR/><BR/>That's not quite the same as the proposal I put forth above for vouchers, and I suspect that it does not jive with most voucher-proponents notions of a voucher system for the UK.<BR/><BR/>It seems like the best evidence for a voucher system is good old Sweden:<BR/><BR/>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_voucher#Implementations<BR/><BR/>However, the Swedish tax and benefit system, social model and levels of inequality are all very different from our own, are they not? And on that basis I suspect that Sweden is not a good data point for considering what would happen if one were to introduce vouchers to Britain.sanbikinoraionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15823745465626270567noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1331071225961603592.post-74831710120861295842007-10-27T04:20:00.000-07:002007-10-27T04:20:00.000-07:00You don't have to imagine how it would work out. J...You don't have to imagine how it would work out. Just look at the Netherlands, they have used school vouchers for over 90 years. And I haven't heard that they would have had any major problems. But they do have much more choice.John Locke's Ghosthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12421273032717853937noreply@blogger.com