by Rick Lowe
Dr. Milton Friedman is probably the first to proffer the idea of providing vouchers for the value of what it costs to educate a student for a year to parents so they can transfer their child to a school of their choice in the US.
If they choose a private school, they can top up the difference in fees. If they choose another public school that they think will provide a better education for their children they can do that too.
A local group, calling themselves The Coalition for Education reform prepared a very good report titled Bahamian Youth: The Untapped Resource. Click here for a pdf of the report.
This is an excellent report, it provides lots of insight into what is really happening in our public schools, it also offers some sensible ideas for improvement. One important concept that is missing however is vouchers.
I hope one day to see this idea being discussed more. It is one way to help our kids enter the work force better prepared and help stop the downward spiral of public education.
For further reading on this subject, please click here for The Friedman Foundation, and here for the Cato Institute's, Center for Educational Freedom, click here for School Choices, and finally, click here for The Nassau Institute's catalogue of articles about education.
