4 ms·

Yes the idea that the govt is the best at everything (let alone schooling...)

ckemere 2y ago
I think that few (no?) people oppose vouchers on the theory that private schools provide an inferior education to public schools. They oppose them because most proposals would not (a) require private schools to accept the voucher as full tuition and fees and (b) require private schools to educate everyone regardless of disability, belief, etc. As currently posed, the voucher is a subsidy to already wealthy people who can afford to supplement the voucher with extra $$ to pay for their children’s education.
- danaris 2y ago
  > I think that few (no?) people oppose vouchers on the theory that private schools provide an inferior education to public schools. Frankly, I don't actually buy that all private schools are necessarily superior to public schools. You're probably just thinking of elite private schools, of the type that rich people in NYC want to send their kids to, but there are plenty of other kinds of private schools out there. The degree to which they have to meet any standards at all vary by jurisdiction. Some are explicitly religious, and will not be teaching accurate history or biology because of that. Some are based on experimental (to put it kindly) pedagogical theories that are not well-grounded in research or evidence (but have some wealthy people willing to buy into them). Just because it costs more money to go to does not remotely guarantee that it will provide a better education.
pixl97 2y ago
Once you grow up around a bunch of home schooled kids that only learned a bit of the Bible you begin to realize that having a wide ranging education across a bunch of topics is important to create people that aren't total gibbering idiots.
- busterarm 2y ago
  I've worked with a lot of engineers over the years who started off home schooled. Mostly they were from rural areas though. Interestingly, I work with a lot of people who do have a stay-at-home partner and homeschool their kids in large cities.
  - consteval 2y ago
    There's a big risk in social development for those who are home schooled. Most developers I've met are severely lacking in social skills, so they're maybe not the best group to use as an example. In my personal experience, I haven't met a single home school adult who was well-adjusted. I have met some who became well-adjusted after working a demanding enough job (I used to work in a kitchen). I don't think software engineering is nearly demanding enough for that kind of development.
- lazyeye 2y ago
  Of course, and equally you can cherry-pick the products of public schools who are also gibbering idiots and don't have even basic levels of literacy.

I think that few (no?) people oppose vouchers on the theory that private schools provide an inferior education to public schools. They oppose them because most proposals would not (a) require private schools to accept the voucher as full tuition and fees and (b) require private schools to educate everyone regardless of disability, belief, etc. As currently posed, the voucher is a subsidy to already wealthy people who can afford to supplement the voucher with extra $$ to pay for their children’s education.

danaris 2y ago
> I think that few (no?) people oppose vouchers on the theory that private schools provide an inferior education to public schools. Frankly, I don't actually buy that all private schools are necessarily superior to public schools. You're probably just thinking of elite private schools, of the type that rich people in NYC want to send their kids to, but there are plenty of other kinds of private schools out there. The degree to which they have to meet any standards at all vary by jurisdiction. Some are explicitly religious, and will not be teaching accurate history or biology because of that. Some are based on experimental (to put it kindly) pedagogical theories that are not well-grounded in research or evidence (but have some wealthy people willing to buy into them). Just because it costs more money to go to does not remotely guarantee that it will provide a better education.

pixl97 2y ago

Once you grow up around a bunch of home schooled kids that only learned a bit of the Bible you begin to realize that having a wide ranging education across a bunch of topics is important to create people that aren't total gibbering idiots.

busterarm 2y ago
I've worked with a lot of engineers over the years who started off home schooled. Mostly they were from rural areas though. Interestingly, I work with a lot of people who do have a stay-at-home partner and homeschool their kids in large cities.
- consteval 2y ago
  There's a big risk in social development for those who are home schooled. Most developers I've met are severely lacking in social skills, so they're maybe not the best group to use as an example. In my personal experience, I haven't met a single home school adult who was well-adjusted. I have met some who became well-adjusted after working a demanding enough job (I used to work in a kitchen). I don't think software engineering is nearly demanding enough for that kind of development.
lazyeye 2y ago
Of course, and equally you can cherry-pick the products of public schools who are also gibbering idiots and don't have even basic levels of literacy.