The Price of Education

Kacy Helwig

Writing 135 12:00

April 20, 2012

THIS IS NOT MY ACTUAL OPINION.

The Price of Education

Public schools are set up like prisons which do not enforce learning. Students are given an I.D. number and then pushed through the system with little care for their level of effort or grade point average. Parents often don’t know how their child is doing in school and show no care for their child’s education. Parents are supposed to be the example for their children, when they show no care for their child’s education, why should the child? This lack of caring by both the parents and students can only be seen as a cry to end free public education.  Free public education puts a huge strain on the nation’s budget. We are in a time when the economy can use the extra money and because of the lack of respect for the opportunity, now is the time that we end free public education. While this may seem an extreme measure to take and present a huge change in our nation, there are many ways in which this action is a huge benefit to our education system and economy.

By doing away with free public education, classrooms will change drastically but in a positive way. By weeding out students, the average class size likely will decrease. Smaller class sizes benefit students because they are less likely to “slip through” the education systems cracks. This meaning that they are less likely to fail classes because their attendance and class work is more closely watched and critiqued by teachers. When class sizes are smaller teachers can more easily cater to the needs of individual students and can use teaching techniques that are more beneficial to the types of learners that they have in their class. An overloaded class size is often a problem in public schools today and can easily be solved by charging for education.

Free public education is not appreciated by citizens of America; by taking it away parents are forced to take action to be sure their child receives a quality education. This in turn makes parents be more caring of how their students are doing in school because they are paying for the education. Parents are more likely to frequently check and monitor their students’ grades and see that they are making an effort. This will mean being more involved with their students’ grades than just looking at the mailed grade sheet once a term. Students will also be forced to put forth more effort when education is not a free opportunity and they will feel slight pressure to do well. Similarly, younger students will have the constant encouragement of their parents to succeed and try their best. In short, the change to charging for tuition will enhance parent involvement in their child’s education.

With public school requiring a tuition fee, there will be less extra-curricular programs cut because parents will be able to voice their opinions on the programs that they and their children care about. Schools will then need to provide for those programs that are voiced by parents and student or else risk losing money gained from the parents as they can change schools. Therefore, charging for public school will be a benefit the students by being able to keep extracurricular activities.

The shift away from free public education will be beneficial for the economy. By charging for public education, teachers will be paid more. This is the government has only been cutting back on teachers’ salaries since the economy crashed. With public education tuition, teachers can return to being paid what they were before the economy crash. With teachers being paid higher they are able to put forth more money into the market which will in turn help create more common wealth in the economy. Governmental funding for the education system will also end which will make it possible for that money to be spent on other programs in the government which will also help the economy at a time when it really needs help.

The break from state funding for school will be beneficial for schools, as the constant budget difficulties within the government have school budget committees suffering from whip lash. The unpredictable shift between years of money shortage and years of surplus make it difficult for schools to have any reliable funding. If schools required payment it will be easy to predict a budget based on attendance, and schools will no longer have to fear for unplanned budget cuts. It also will be beneficial because it will end the over involvement that comes with being paid for by the government. Often the state and federal government become over involved in schools and try to take control over areas that do not need to be altered. One example of this is the No Child Left Behind Act which restricts federal aid payment to schools if they do not meet improvement standards. This is flawed, because as long as a school is improving, how can the government determine the rate at which it should be improving? This act was intended to be an incentive for schools to improve but instead only harms the schools that need the funding the most. With a limited budget, how can lower income schools make serious efforts to improve if they do not have the funds to do it? They cannot. Not to mention how horribly managed this act is and how any benefits that may have been gained from it have been lost to government bureaucracy. Therefore, breaking this involvement will not only be financially more secure for schools but also safer for their programs and courses.

A logical problem that can be seen with this plan will be for those parents who cannot afford to pay for their children to go to school. A solution to this will be that for parents, who wish to have education for their child, when they cannot afford it, can apply for scholarships or loans. These scholarships can be funded privately as with college scholarships and by having these scholarships, students will have another reason to work hard in school. Loans can also be done similarly to college with another form of the FAFSA. With the threat of needing to pay back loans after their students schooling, parents will be sure to keep their child in school as long as possible. This is because as long as a student is currently a full time student, they do not need to start paying back their loans. Parents can also have their child get a job so that they can help pay for loan interest when they get older. This will provide an opportunity for students to gain work experience and learn valuable life lessons on the job. Having loans to pay back will also force students to choose more productive options in their spare time over video games or internet. Reasonable financial options for parents will be available, and will help place responsibility on the student to do well in school.

One solution that people may think will work better for solving the education system will be for those parents who care more for their child’s education can take their children to private schools. This is a flawed idea though as many flaws are found in private schooling. Private schools tend to be less culturally diverse. They also cost more money which many people may not be able to afford. One of the biggest problems however is that most private schools are religious affiliated, which can present problems for religious families trying to find a school close by which teaches their specific faith. Private schools also typically have fewer activities for students. They also have smaller staffs, so student are more likely to get stuck with teachers that parents or students do not like or agree with. Private schools also have fewer available resources like maintenance support staff. And another big problem with private schools is their lack of standards for their teaching staff. In other words, methods that teachers use may be out dated, seriously flawed, or wrong. Without standards, any person who wants to be a teacher regardless of not having an education can be allowed to teach in a private school. Consequently, the only option to fix the education system is to make a change in the public schools so that the public school parents do not have to deal with any of these issues.

            If public education is not free it will bring many benefits. Class sizes will be smaller allowing for more personal attention. Parents and students will both begin to care more for the opportunity to get an education. Parents will be more involved in the process of their child’s education as well. Charging for public education will also help relieve funds for the government which will help the economy, and help maintain a steady and reliable income for schools. This change will also help to keep many programs in schools while still maintaining teaching standards that public schools need. Ending free public education will help dissolve many problems in the education system and will benefit many people. 

THIS IS NOT MY ACTUAL OPINION. THIS IS AN EXERCISE FOR A CLASS.