Free (as in speech) education?

[TomCollins]

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a state will lead inevitably to totalitarianism

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fyp

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And people claim that there aren't AC hijacks in this forum?

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ACists have admitted Neilsio is the only ACist thread hijacker. He's definitely pretty horrible about it.

[ConstantineX]

Maybe. I would be uncomfortable with a private school in the Middle East. Religious training seems quite nefarious to me, especially early in life. Practically, I think *I* can tolerate a more inefficient public system in some cases with the appearance of balanced teachings to benefit children. Just because the system is private doesn't mean parents are free to make good choices; and I'd be willing, practically, to sacrifice a little liberty so that children without fully developed rights yet. I think some recent research has also shown that differences in income outcome are broadly linked to differences in the investment of human capital very early on.

[ianlippert]

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Maybe. I would be uncomfortable with a private school in the Middle East. Religious training seems quite nefarious to me, especially early in life.

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But whos going to decide the curriculum in the Middle East. We cant just drop a western styled government there and start teaching their kids more rational thought. The same goes for Western Countries. If curriculum is majority rule and the majority of parents are uneducated how can a good curriculum come of this? If you put the curriculum in the hands of a special interest group how can we expect the things they teach our kids not to benefit their agenda?

Is creationism so volatile that you think people should be thrown in jail for teaching their kids irrational beliefs?

[Borodog]

You guys miss me so much you have to bump my 8 month old threads?

This poll is less effective in the absence of the companion thread that I ran prior to it, asking whether or not a free press was necessary for a free society. I expected, and got, everyone saying yes of course, but then some of those same people turning around and claiming that a state-controlled educational system would be magically a-ok.

The point being to force people to apply the same logic that shows a state-controlled press to be a terrible idea to things that most people take for granted should be state-controlled, like education.

[Vagos]

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Of course. People are too dumb to teach their kids anything. So we're going to make your kids listen to other people, who are just as dumb (hey, the axiom is that people are dumb, right?), possibly even dumber, and have no investment in your children.

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You have it all wrong. The axiom is that parents are stupid, incompetent and too ignorant to educate their own offspring, but politicians are benevolent angels sent from above to protect and watch over the children of society.

[Nielsio]

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Of course. People are too dumb to teach their kids anything. So we're going to make your kids listen to other people, who are just as dumb (hey, the axiom is that people are dumb, right?), possibly even dumber, and have no investment in your children.

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You have it all wrong. The axiom is that parents are stupid, incompetent and too ignorant to educate their own offspring, but politicians are benevolent angels sent from above to protect and watch over the children of society.

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[Archon_Wing]

As long as I am in the group that matters (51%+), I'm perfectly happy about being taught the wonders of democracy. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

But to be more serious I have no real idea of what the state can teach or can provide which is exclusive to them. I don't know why the state should necessarily set the standards for attainment of knowledge as I seriously doubt their objectivity. I'm quite sure the academics and scholars would know better. Certainly private education has worked quite well. You might have to ask yourself what the purpose of an education is.