CAPSULE COMMENTARY: “Pitfalls of Public Education”

“Every year, new studies depict the latest problems and victims in public schooling. ‘Boys shout out the answers and misbehave, requiring most of the teacher’s attention! Therefore, girls needs are shortchanged in a school setting.’ ‘Ninety percent of elementary school teachers are women. Moreover, learning by doing is often not employed for male students. Therefore, boys needs are often shortchanged.’ The government model for schools ignores the individuality of each student. State schooling forces children into a classroom with a teacher that all too often is not the best provider for their specific educational needs. Why should we be surprised with the system’s poor results and perpetual failings? Why not allow families, rather than government, to select the proper educational environment for their children? True and meaningful education requires voluntary coordination between parents, teachers, and students in a comfortable setting where the different needs of each child are addressed.”