3 ms·

I've always been suspicious of for-profit schools. I put my own kids in "traditional" independent schools that you have to pay for, but they're run like chariti

I've always been suspicious of for-profit schools. I put my own kids in "traditional" independent schools that you have to pay for, but they're run like charities where there's basically no money for someone to pull out. With for-profit, you have the problems alluded to in the article. If something is up with your kid, eg they need more attention, it's in the school's interest to puff you out so they don't have to arrange that. If your kid is doing well, they could do less well than their potential, which might again require more attention. Ordinary independent schools still have some of these pressures, esp wrt to booting out failing kids, but they don't have an expectation of leaving resources for profits. What you're really buying with tuition fees is other parents. Other people who are also signalling, by burning a year's rent, that they value education and will make sure their kids are focused on doing things like reading and numbers.

lr4444lr 6y ago
Your supposition is logical, but the reality is, budget directors, chancellors, and politicians are all under tremendous pressure to stem education costs in the public sector, and it has a lot of impact in what's done or not done. That's why laws guaranteeing the right to education, particularly special education, are important.
Mediterraneo10 6y ago
> they're run like charities where there's basically no money for someone to pull out In the United States, charities (501c3 non-profits) can indeed be run like businesses and there is "money to pull out". The non-profit status requires the organization to use all the money that it brings in, but it is free to use that money on paying high salaries to its management. Consequently, many non-profits become sinecures for their staff, a guaranteed source of a higher and more stable salary than they might find in some other job, and relatively little money is directed towards the charitable endeavours for which the money was ostensibly raised.
Grustaf 6y ago
The best thing about the Swedish system is that it also ruins the public schools. All schools get paid per student, so public schools have also taken to using marketing and non-education related ways to attract students, such as "cool" designs, free ipads etc.

lr4444lr 6y ago

Your supposition is logical, but the reality is, budget directors, chancellors, and politicians are all under tremendous pressure to stem education costs in the public sector, and it has a lot of impact in what's done or not done. That's why laws guaranteeing the right to education, particularly special education, are important.

Mediterraneo10 6y ago

> they're run like charities where there's basically no money for someone to pull out In the United States, charities (501c3 non-profits) can indeed be run like businesses and there is "money to pull out". The non-profit status requires the organization to use all the money that it brings in, but it is free to use that money on paying high salaries to its management. Consequently, many non-profits become sinecures for their staff, a guaranteed source of a higher and more stable salary than they might find in some other job, and relatively little money is directed towards the charitable endeavours for which the money was ostensibly raised.

Grustaf 6y ago

The best thing about the Swedish system is that it also ruins the public schools. All schools get paid per student, so public schools have also taken to using marketing and non-education related ways to attract students, such as "cool" designs, free ipads etc.