September 5, 200818 yr I have howled at the moon about this for fifteen years and noone cares. MacroPublicly-funded education and public welfare work hand-in-hand. This country was a world power at the turn of the century and into the 1920's, and publicly funded education was not mandatory. Everything was local option. Each community paid for its own schoolhouse. Even the state university system was local option (as it still is. Ever wonder why colleges have not been federalized?). People cared enough about their children to educate them, and communities cared enough in some circumstances to pay for it. If they didn't, people starved. Why? Because they were not guaranteed a social safety net. Now, people are guaranteed a social safety net. Therefore, education is no longer critical. The government will provide you with a baseline level of subsistence no matter what animalistic behavior you engage in, therefore, education is no longer critical mass. In an ironic twist, mandatory education is actually viewed as "elective." I'm with FormerKY, albeit for different reasons. From what you say, it seems that you would support education in a society without welfare. That's what I would go for as well.
September 5, 200818 yr What if the parents can't afford it? The kids are automatically screwed. I understand that logic for college but this country would be exponentially worse off if education wasn't publicly funded. Work harder? Give up other things? It's not my problem if they don't have the money. I shouldn't have to pay for other people's children to get educated.
September 5, 200818 yr Here's my take...Why do children go to school? The answer is easy. So they can succeed in life, and create a better life for themselves. Fair enough, but why do tax payers have to pay for it? 1. National security- we need engineers, mathematicians, economists, physicists, etc. 2. American economy- if the poor are all uneducated, who is going to work any management jobs? Are we going to send the Mexicans back to Mexico and work the bad jobs, but send the good jobs out to China?
September 5, 200818 yr Work harder? Give up other things? It's not my problem if they don't have the money. I shouldn't have to pay for other people's children to get educated. Doesn't it become your problem when they steal from you out of frustration over lack of opportunity for bettering themselves?
September 5, 200818 yr Work harder? Give up other things? It's not my problem if they don't have the money. I shouldn't have to pay for other people's children to get educated. Well it certainly shouldn't be the kids problem either, horrible line of thinking imo.
September 5, 200818 yr Doesn't it become your problem when they steal from you out of frustration over lack of opportunity for bettering themselves? Not if I don't live in a poor area or if I have a shotgun by my bed....
September 5, 200818 yr From what you say, it seems that you would support education in a society without welfare. That's what I would go for as well. I would eliminate most social safety nets and then be agreeable to publicly-funded education under the British/German form of school system. I have advocated that on this board before.
September 5, 200818 yr Work harder? Give up other things? It's not my problem if they don't have the money. I shouldn't have to pay for other people's children to get educated. It's unbelievable that anyone has this mentality.
September 5, 200818 yr Work harder? Give up other things? It's not my problem if they don't have the money. I shouldn't have to pay for other people's children to get educated. Wow! Talk about a mindset that will lead to the ruination of a community or state.
September 5, 200818 yr Wow! Talk about a mindset that will lead to the ruination of a community or state. Or nation.
September 5, 200818 yr Wow! Talk about a mindset that will lead to the ruination of a community or state. Or nation. Actually, we are both wrong. It should have read community AND state AND nation. All 3 would be done. Not educating the youth, how has that worked for Africa???
September 5, 200818 yr I have howled at the moon about this for fifteen years and noone cares. MacroPublicly-funded education and public welfare work hand-in-hand. This country was a world power at the turn of the century and into the 1920's, and publicly funded education was not mandatory. Everything was local option. Each community paid for its own schoolhouse. Even the state university system was local option (as it still is. Ever wonder why colleges have not been federalized?). I value your opinion, Hearsay, but a few observations: I do not believe that we were a world power at the turn of the century. Industrializing, yes. World Power, not just yet, it took a lot of European self-destruction to get us there. Secondy, our economy at that time relied on non-skilled labor exclusively. No education was needed to jump into the factory and was also responsible for quite a bit of labor abuses at that time, I would imagine. This is an entirely different case in the modern world People cared enough about their children to educate them, and communities cared enough in some circumstances to pay for it. If they didn't, people starved. Why? Because they were not guaranteed a social safety net. I'm not with you here either. Both of my parents were unable to attend school regularly because their hands were required on the farm. Granted, they were very poor growing up, similar situations exists today in different forms.
September 5, 200818 yr Actually, we are both wrong. It should have read community AND state AND nation. All 3 would be done. Not educating the youth, how has that worked for Africa??? Never said not to educate the youth, only that they should have to pay for it.
September 5, 200818 yr Never said not to educate the youth, only that they should have to pay for it. A lot of people are struggling to survive right now WITHOUT paying for their child's education. How would you expect those people to make it?
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