RAVITCH: BREAKING NEWS: Chile to End Public Funding of Private Education

[yurbud]

Last edited Sun Apr 20, 2014, 03:14 PM - Edit history (1)

"The pursuit of profit is not a good objective for educational institutions. It is not a good ally of a good education," is obvious when you look at Wall Street driven education reform here, but those words were spoken by the CHILEAN equivalent of the Secretary of Education not ours.

How much longer are top Democrats going to soil themselves and screw our kids out of a good education before they admit they have made a horrific mistake?

NO politician that I know of demands that the private schools they send their kids to about the "reforms" they are forcing on public school kids.

If they don't want it for their own kids, we certainly don't need it for ours.

Under the dictator Pinochet, Chile became devoted to the free-market theories of libertarian economist Milton Friedman. It adopted a voucher system and embrace choice.

Over the years, the schools experienced growing social segregation and little or no improvement.

A vigorous and outraged student movement in Chile demanded changes.

Just today, a news story appeared saying that Chile intends to end public subsidies for private schools. (Oddly enough, the story is from Shanghai!)

We will keep watch on this breaking story.

The story says:

Chilean Education Minister Nicolas Eyzaguirre Thursday reaffirmed the government's commitment to ending private education."The pursuit of profit is not a good objective for educational institutions. It is not a good ally of a good education," Eyzaguirre told a press conference.

The administration of President Michelle Bachelet, who took office in March, has proposed an ambitious overhaul of the education system to provide affordable, quality education, as demanded by a national student movement launched in 2011.

The government's proposed reforms basically call for greater public spending on education, free primary education, and an end to state-subsidies of private schools and to profit-oriented universities.

"The state needs to withdraw from many productive activities, but not those that are considered a social right," said Eyzaguirre.

The current educational system, which was increasingly privatized by the previous pro-business administration, creates more tension between the nation's privileged and working classes, the minister said.

State support for universities will have to be phased in slowly, the minister indicated, as many of the centers of higher education have not been certified.

"We can't be throwing around public money without ensuring quality," he said.

To finance the education reform, Bachelet has proposed increasing the corporate tax rate from 20 percent to 25 percent, an initiative opposed by the business and conservative political sector, but expected to be adopted by the country's legislature.

Shanghai Daily story

Ravitch story

[Fearless]

1. But but but the corporate model for education

Is the way of the future. Didn't you see Waiting for Superman??

[yurbud]

2. I couldn't finish it. It showed real problems then gave "solutions" that made them worse

for most kids.

You shouldn't have to win the lottery to get an education.

[Fearless]

3. Bingo.