How Might a Voucher System for Schools Work - Example

How Might a Voucher System for Schools Work? Table of Contents Introduction 3 Discussion 4 Introduction about the Australian Education System 4 Impact of Voucher System on the Overall Development of Education Sector 4 Beneficial Factor for the Students As A Result Of Voucher System 5 Failures of the Voucher System 6 Voucher System as a New Option for Parents 7 Conclusion 8 References 9 Introduction Educational pattern provided to the students helps in constructing their early foundation base. Thus, selection of appropriate educational system should be considered as a mandate responsibility of every parent towards his or her children. In this context, Australia can be considered as an appropriate example of providing appropriate educational settings for both primary as well as secondary education. However, over time, a subsequent amount of necessity has been felt in context of providing the same level of attention and support to the private schools as well. Justification regarding this statement can be provided depending on the fact that the lack of governmental funding support may cause higher percentage of losses related to educational attainment of financially weak students. As a result, an alternative solution for this issue has been suggested and correspondingly, termed as the voucher system. This system tended towards utilizing the government funds for developing the facilities provided by the private schools (Australian Government Department of Education 2014). Regardless of the fact, the Australian government still appears to be negligent regarding the introduction of voucher system in the areas of higher education. Instead, it remained tended towards the introduction of the ‘Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS)’ scheme according to which, students should be paying certain portion of the higher education, which they want to attain. This may turn out to be a complicated situation for the lower income families who are completely reliant on government support provided to them through public schools. Multiple other associated reasons such as school’s strategic plans of attaining higher profits, administrative issues and increase in management cost can also be associated with the rejection to voucher system by the Australian government. Considering this aspect, it is worth mentioning that the introduction of voucher system within Australia’s education system should be a mandate factor, so that equitable education facilities can be offered to all the students (Lee and Wong 2002; McEwan and Carnoy 2000). (Cheung 2003.). Discussion Introduction about the Australian Education System The Australian education system is identified to be integrated with the voucher system as effective facilities being availed to the public schools, a necessity has been felt to provide greater amount of freedom and power to the parents, so that they can choose the schools that will be ideal for their children. Through this initiative, an attempt has been made to develop the Australian education system as an open market. For catering the perceived objectives, it is necessary that significant amount of public funding support is directed to the private schools. The intention behind this initiative is that, rather than just focusing on the profitability of the schools and the government, this initiative will turn up to be like a development opportunity for the financially deprived families who face difficulties in meeting their children’s education cost. The introduction of this system can also be linked up with the ‘peer group effect’ of the students. In this regard, Zimmer and Toma (2014) elaborated much regarding the necessity of an appropriate classroom arrangement in terms of enhancing the educational attainment rate of the school students. Impact of Voucher System on the Overall Development of Education Sector Appropriate government support in terms of the voucher system will ensure effective composition development of the schools. As a result, the implementation of the voucher system will increase the overall productivity and efficiency of the Australian education system (Zimmer and Toma 2014; McEwan 2000). Moreover, attainable reward provided to the teaching facilities will also keep them motivated in terms of imparting better education to the students ensuring their effective growth (Ladd et al., 2002). Certain opposing parties may consider this initiative as a considerable degradation to the educational attainment pattern of the student both from the social along with the racial perspective (Australian Government Department of Education 2014). Beneficial Factor for the Students As A Result Of Voucher System Through the implementation of the voucher system within Australian education system, a positive perception can be made regarding the elimination of negative influence on the students as a result of widened societal and financial gap. The system can also be expected to be effective enough in imparting appropriate education to the students and thus, helping them achieving their desired goals. Eventually, this may contribute to the peer performance and the competitiveness of the schools providing them with a better market reputation (Warner and Gradus 2009). Effective funding support from the government will ensure appreciable development within the voucher system education making it more effective and supportive towards lower income groups in the society. In an eventual manner, it can be stated that an appropriate education system will gradually contribute towards the economic growth of the nation (Henderson et al. 1978). In the present scenario, only a handful number of schools can be observed to be functional based on the voucher system. Some finds existence of voucher system at the national level while in certain regions the voucher system caters the educational needs of the children belonging from lower or moderate income groups. As a countermeasure, multiple supporters appear to be suggestive regarding carrying out of an effective evaluation of the educations systems within other nations that have attained the benefits of voucher system. Based on the viewpoints of the supporters, the data attained from such evaluations will provide a boost to the introduction of voucher initiative within Australia where the government can be considered completely liable for providing financial support to all the public as well as the private schools (Cheung 2003). Failures of the Voucher System Simultaneous observations of the voucher initiative within other nations forecasted the incapability of this program in terms of bringing about large scale development to the existing educational system. However, this program appears to be beneficial in terms of providing better educational opportunities to the financially deprived students thus, fortifying the opportunity of improving the Australian educational system by using governmental support (Ladd 2002). The first opportunity is regarding the development of multiple new private schools within Australia that will cater the growing educational demand within Australia. This will further ensure that the students are provided with better education and learning experience irrespective of their caste, race and financial background. The second opportunity will be associated with an increase in competition between the private and the public schools from the perspective of providing quality education. The justification to these statements can be provided depending on the fact that higher the superiority of a school better will be its chances of availing more students’ enrolment. This will eventually bring lot of financial support from the students’ side as well (Macintosh and Wilkinson 2006). Voucher System as a New Option for Parents Implementation of the voucher systems will provide an additional option to the parents in terms of evaluating the quality of the school by taking consideration of the increasing or decreasing performance of their children. Thus, implementation of voucher system within the Australian educational system will prove beneficial for the government towards achieving their perceived objectives. Educational pattern within Australia will be superior by implementing voucher system (Novak 2009; Ladd 2002). As a subsequent effect, the introduction of voucher system will eventually mitigate such biasness associated with school selection. This will also help in ensuring the impartment of proper and equal education for each student. Another circumstance that needs to be brought under notice is the benefit that can be attained from voucher system in terms of ensuring appropriate tax collection and public fund regulation within the Australian economy by maintaining its fluidity and effectiveness. Thus, it can be affirmed that the voucher system will approximately help in bringing about considerable amount of benefit to the Australian economy from multiple dimensions (Pearson 2010). Regardless of the above discussed facts, the benefits provided by the voucher systems can also be perceived for laying considerable amount of positive impact in terms of promoting equality consents within the Australian inhabitants. This will eventually minimize the gap between the higher and lower sections of the society. In a cause and effect manner, these benefits will also impart positive affect on the financial condition of the low-income groups and help in supporting their cause and necessities (Pearson 2010; Ladd 2002). Conclusion It is worth mentioning that although the implementation of voucher system may not ensure high level of benefits within the existing educational system of Australia. However, the side benefits that can be attained from this initiative appear much promising in comparison to that of the revenue earning benefits. The initiative can be utilized as an appropriate tool for regulating the flow of funds within the economy along with minimizing the income gap between the Australian inhabitants. Above all, this initiative also appears beneficial in terms of sufficing the growing educational needs and improvising the educational impartment standards within the existing schools. Multiple other benefits that can be provided by this initiative are also worth accountable one of which being the opportunity for new educational facilities to establish and grow within the Australian economy. References Australian Government Department of Education 2014, ‘Funding for schools’, Schooling, viewed 30 September 2014, Cheung, B. 2003, ‘The adoption of a voucher system in government-funded universities: perspectives of higher education students and workers of Hong Kong’, University of South Australia, pp. 1-29. Henderson, V. et al. 1978, ‘Peer group effects and educational’, Journal of public economics, pp.97-106. Ladd, H. F. et al. 2002, ‘Implementing value-added measures of school effectiveness: getting the incentives right’, Economics of education, pp. 1-17. Ladd, H. F. 2002, ‘School vouchers: a critical view’, Journal of economic perspectives, vol. 16, no. 4, pp. 3-24. Lee, V. and Wong, E. 2002, ‘Research and library services division legislative council secretariat’, Education Voucher System, pp. 1-82. Macintosh, A. and Wilkinson, D. 2006, ‘School vouchers an evaluation of their impact on education outcomes’, The Australia Institute, pp. 1-94. McEwan, P. J. and Carnoy, M. 2000, ‘The potential impact of large-scale vouchers programs’, Review of Educational Research, vol. 70, no. 2, pp. 103-149. McEwan, P. J. and Carnoy, M. 2000, ‘the effectiveness and efficiency of private schools in chiles voucher system’, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 213-239. Novak, M. 2009, ‘Voucher System Would Be A Real Education Revolution’, News, viewed 30 September 2014, Pearson, C. 2010, ‘Vouchers Just The Ticket For Better Education’, The Australian, viewed 30 September 2014, Warner, M. E. and Gradus, R. 2009, ‘the consequences of implementing a child care voucher: evidence from Australia, the Netherlands and USA’, Tinbergen Institute discussion paper, pp. 1-25. Zimmer, R. W. and Toma, E. F. 2014, ‘Peer effects in private and public schools across countries’, Association for public policy analysis and management, pp. 1-19. Read More