Saturday, April 30, 2016

Chomsky on public education


Defunding a program is the best way to promote privatization. He discusses here public education, but you can go down the line. The idea of voucherizing Medicare is basically a way of defunding it, worsening its quality and eventually move to private health (you get it if you pay for it). And on education note that while Chomsky is right that it worked well and is being defunded and privatized (think charter schools), it is also true that the system was always unequal and favored the middle class, since the value of housing determined the quality of the public schools.

Short excerpt from Requiem for the American Dream, which I highly recommend.
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2 comments:

  1. disequilibriumMay 2, 2016 at 10:35 AM

    I have a question if there is good budget which finance public education and healthcare well and there is sufficent investment in education and healthcare infrastructure.

    In this case voucher schools and voucher medical insurance wouldnt be benefitcial?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Matias VernengoMay 3, 2016 at 1:09 PM

      Hi Daniel:
      If we spend enough and evenly (meaning middle class and wealthy neighborhoods wouldn't have the best schools) why would you need vouchers? Vouchers are supposedly about choice (that's what the Friedmans would have said). If all schools are equally good there is hardly any need for vouchers. As it is we do not have a system with good public schools for all. And vouchers and charter schools have de facto been used to defund the public system. By the way, the wealthy and the middle class do not need vouchers to choose, they can afford private schools and houses in good neighborhoods. Vouchers are there to show that the less fortunate are also unhappy with the quality of education, and to help push for further privatization.

      Delete

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