Organization theory says that large organizations can only perform one function well. The education system was amazing when its job was to teach reading, writing and arithmetic. Then came all the social aspects, integration, socialism, sexism, identity training, de-masculinization...the list is now endless. What has suffered, of course, is reading, writing and arithmetic. The obvious answer is to get rid of the huge organization. It was needed in the nineteenth century because parents largely could not read, write or do sums.
In our increasingly complex society an educated man would need to think logically, write programs, and manage family affairs both legal and financial that would stun someone from the mid-twentieth century. Yet the education system we have can barely graduate high-schoolers with the abilities expected from a fifth grader in 1900.
Thomas Sowell impressed me when he quoted someone: ‘Being a Renniasance Man is no longer possible. No one can learn 1% of everything anymore.’
I agree that basic education would be appealing to many parents. But why must they hinder other households from using their share of education funding?
We are not getting rid of education funding — parents can’t imagine not having it during this current generation. So let’s unleash parental control, not merely with government controlled vouchers ...
... but ...
With GENUINE bold alternatives — modern modes of education. Education computer software is running rings around classic education.