Skip to main content

Public Education- Conservative & Progressive Views

 



Socialism is evident in American Education. Recently, socialist policies have come under attack.

I got a good education at the public High School in Millville, NJ. Millions of Americans attend public schools between Kindergarten and Grade 12. And many of us go on to state universities for additional studies. All of these schools are funded by taxpayers. K-12 are free except for the cost of personal supplies. State universities get funds from taxpayers, student tuition, grants, and investments.

In addition to public schools, wealthy people who send their children to private schools also get socialist tax-breaks. Nonprofit institutions do not may taxes, which places a burden on workers and businesses to cover all the things our taxes pay for.

I think it is a good thing for all members of a democratic society to have a basic education. I might disagree on the components of a basic education and how many years a person should get at tax-payer expense, but I believe public education is a good thing. My wife and I only have one child, which means we paid a lot of extra money for people who have several children. I don’t mind that. We are all Americans.

What happens if you get rid of socialism in education? The simple answer is, the decision is up to parents. You purchase what you can afford and don’t depend on the government for a handout. There is no right to a free education in the US Constitution, so you are on your own.

Conservatives also like to get rid of laws--at least that was my impression years ago. If they could get rid of laws stating how many years children have to be in school, then parents would be free to decide how much education to give their children. Perhaps you could fight for a roll-back in the law? For example, according to AmishAmerica, the Amish only go to school until the eighth grade. So, that would be cheaper. Also, they are able to live their lifestyle and learn their trades without getting more classroom education. If you know people from a farm community, you know teens who learn how to operate farm equipment during childhood.

Perhaps socialism has gone too far? However, I think it would be a mistake to live in a nation where millions of people did not have a basic education. How could people write sensible posts for Facebook, Twitter, and the like if they don’t go to school? How could people manage their finances, get higher paying jobs, or make a wise decision about voting without a basic education? Overall, this socialist policy of an education at tax-payers' expense is a social good.

In modern America, the choice is not really between capitalism and socialism but rather about what socialist programs should we support so that even the poorest among us have a chance at the pursuit of happiness?

I suggest we should not let extremists wag our tails. Extreme capitalists who would deny a basic education to the poor are as unreasonable as extreme socialists who want everyone to have free preschools and a free college education.

Wise people negotiate a balance between what a nation can afford and what is a good thing for most of society. Labelling ideas as capitalist or socialist adds no value to making decisions about education and government services.


Links to Connections

My Page    www.suttong.com

  

My Books  AMAZON          and             GOOGLE STORE

 

FOLLOW   FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton   TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton

 

PINTEREST  www.pinterest.com/GeoffWSutton

 

Articles: Academia   Geoff W Sutton   ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton 

 


Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

EASTER: VARIATIONS IN BELIEF

Differences in Religious & Spiritual Beliefs Relevant to the Easter Story By Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D. at suttong.com Like most Christians, my wife and I attend an Easter Service. And, a s usual, the media rise to the Spring occasion with Bible stories, comments from various religious leaders and a few atheists—just to keep things balanced. Other religions are on the back burner until Monday. So many statements of beliefs come from the Easter events.  For now, here’s a sample of some core beliefs from various sources. God: 51% believe in God as in the Bible Statista (May, 2023) reported US belief "in God as described in holy scriptures" at 51%. Another 22% reported a belief in a higher power or spirit. Pew researchers from 2021 find 58% believe in God as described in the Bible and another 32% believe in a God or Higher Power.  Belief in God is obviously a core belief. U.S. belief has declined to 58% having no doubt God exists and another 17% have do...
Post a Comment
Read more

9 Beliefs of Christian Counselors

Updated 26 Feb 2018 What Christian Counselors Believe, Value, and Practice Part I: Beliefs I once asked a conservative evangelical Christian Chaplain how he handled counseling when he was pretty sure a dying patient was not a Christian and, according to his tradition, would soon spend eternity in hell. He sincerely said he would have to think about that question. A female health care provider told me she switched jobs so she could work with children rather than seniors, because she believed that, unlike the elderly, children would go to heaven if they died. In this case, her Christian beliefs appeared to have a cause -effect influence on her career. Counselors normally focus on the needs of clients and help clients find solutions in a supportive setting. Theoretically, rapport ought to be enhanced when counselors and clients share common values and beliefs.  Why ask what Christian Counselors Believe? The primary reason ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Doom and Gloom and Bad Actors

  Sculpture at Terazin  2024 “Those Who Do Not Learn History Are Doomed To Repeat It.” George Santayana ***** A great quantity of information in the form of text, photographs, statues, films, drawings, and paintings portray and honour the lives of those who were victims of the Nazi’s murderous plan. The concentration camps do concentrate one’s focus on a particular era of terror. The evidence from the past 80 years suggests Santayana was right and wrong. In a sense, his statement was too general to be contradicted. For example, the specific conditions that generated and maintained the Nazi system of mass murder are unlikely to be replicated; however, some timeless characteristics of human nature persist. ***** I’m a psychologist and not a historian yet, I come away from recent visits to several Nazi terror sites with some impressions. 1. Religion supports dictators. Horrible leaders often have an amiable relationship with the larger religious groups who fail to dissuade th...
Post a Comment
Read more