Harry Pollard wrote:
[snip]
> Competition for students between schools will inevitably lead to better
> schools. Parents will not want their kids to go to inadequate schools so,
> given the choice, their vouchers - or whatever - will go to the schools
> that succeed.
[snip]
Perhaps this is the best that can be hoped for lest we
open Pandora's box....
However, the logical conclusion of a free market in
education, it seems to me, would be for learners to
seek out persons whom they wanted to help them
learn, and, if the persons so approached were
amenable, let the two work out the fee the learner would
pay. The "teacher" would have no power over the "student" other
than the freedom to terminate the educational contract
should (s)he no longer want to engage in the relationship, and
ditto the "student".
As I have previously written, I actually had some of this
in producing my dissertation. I went into the community
and asked persons whom I was interested in helping
me with my dissertation studies, if they would be willing
to do so and what their fee was. At last I had
found an educational relationship which I felt was
appropriate to me and which did not demean me (an
educational relationship which did not "send me under
the yoke").
I have no idea how many persons are capable of such
non-hierarchical interpersonal relationships. I would
hope that an outcome of education would be for
persons to become such self-responsible social actors
if they are not already: neither leaders nor followers.
If one wishes to call that a "free market", it would
be a good thing by that or any other name.
\brad mccormick
--
Let your light so shine before men,
that they may see your good works.... (Matt 5:16)
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (1 Thes 5:21)
<![%THINK;[SGML+APL]]> Brad McCormick, Ed.D. / [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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