Should private schools be banned - Essay Example

Should private schools be banned? Introduction The debate surrounding private school existence continues to elicit varied reactions from a section of stakeholders in the education sector. It seems though that no single satisfactory decision has been put forth to end the debate. Everyone continues to ask, should private schools be banned? Private schools debate has always been in news world over as a leading perpetrator in discriminating against disadvantaged children against their counterparts who hail from rich and well off families (Kahlenberg, 2003). As the debate continues, children rights groups continue to step up efforts that would ensure that the disparity between those children in private schools and their counterparts in public school is eliminated. For instance, some groups have called for extra time to give the disadvantaged group an added advantage in pursuance of their academic endeavours. On the other hand, private school’s owners continue to advocate for their survival urging that what needs to be done is improvement of state schools instead of ordering the closure of the private schools which continues to produce outstanding performance. But the question is; should we care about child’s rights or performance? This paper underscores the need for equity in education as a basis for necessary justice for the future generation in the wake of existing constraints. It will first emphasize on the importance of equality in education. This is only possible where education systems are purely state-run. The discussion will largely base its arguments on education as a basis for a positional good whose value relies heavily on the amount consumed as compared to the rest. However, equity in opportunity should not be taken to mean equity in education. This is because education is a complex wholesome product but not merely academic schooling (Phillip, 2008). It is also important to note that total equality in education is just but a dream of the future. Such constraints make it difficult to equalize education systems. The paper shall focus on equity of schooling and equalization of education as received under same learning conditions or setting. In this case, a private school shall be defined as that which is purely funded by parents while a state funded school shall be defined as that that is owned by the public and funded by the state. It therefore seems so from these arguments that in today’s world, education has been used to perpetrate inequality and division of social classes based on economic status because of the existence of higher education meant for the rich and wealthy in the society. Those calling for the closure of private schools believe in the fact that the current education systems institutionalises inequality and unfair treatment of education seekers just because they can’t afford the high cost of private institutions. It is interesting to note that out of the total number of school going children about 90% attend public schools while 10% attend private schools (Caldwell, 2008). Those who attend public schools have the potential of better performance as compared to their public counterparts contributing a larger percentage of students who qualify for university education in leading universities such as Cambridge and oxford. This is the highest degree of inequality as it implies that those who will eventually qualify for top positions in industry are those who hail from wealthy families who parents were able to sponsor their education on very expensive private institutions. In addition to this fact, the current society is typical of what can be termed as cultural capitalism and social shutting where the wealthy and privileged give their children gigantic advantages whereas the poor ones struggle in poorly managed and funded systems where only the lucky ones strive for excellence. The survival is typically of the law of the jungle where the fit survive and the weak succumb to academic death. It is vital to stress the need for all to give every child an opportunity to study and live up to his or her full potential but it seems this only favours a few rich individuals against the massive poor population (Joshi, 2013). It is wise to note this advocacy for change does not call for elimination of the best schools in the country but rather funding and managing all institutions in an equal manner and in a way that guarantees every child equal opportunity and academic justice. In this regard, education authorities owe to open up all private schools to all children regardless of their social status in the society. Let all children enjoy the lavish facilities and resources found in private schools without discrimination. It is in the interest of this discussion that all doors should be made open to children not withstanding their class. When this is given to them all children will have equal opportunities to learn and excel in life. Of course, the best will emerge among them all and the society will be equal. It is in the view of this discussion that private schools tends to widen the gap between the haves and the not haves. This is because private schools exist and continues to provide better education than public schools owing to the fact those who educate children in the schools pay huge amounts of money as fees. This may not be possible for middle and low income earners as a result natural selection occurs where rich families get the opportunity to educate their young ones in private schools while the poor do not. In addition, such schools would present conditions for better performance against the state owned schools owing to their ability to employ and motivate qualified teachers, provide basic facilities and sizable classes. As a result, their children will be more likely to excel in schooling due to the nature of learning environment securing placement in high ranking universities and eventually heavily paying jobs leaving poorly paying jobs to less fortunate majority (Carney, 2007). This cycle will continue as long as such disparities in the education sector exist. This slowly widens the gap between the rich and the poor in the society. This discussion stresses the need for the entire education sector to be controlled by government but not a few wealthy individuals. This way the child’s education shall not be influenced by wealth rather his or her ability. It is worth noting that exposing all children to equal basic education is a fundamental step towards equal social mobility and progress of the future generations. Supporters of private schools have once argued that even if private schools were banned, the rich would seek education abroad. This is true, but it shouldn’t be taken as an excuse as taking their kids to private schools abroad will not be under the jurisdiction of the home country. Therefore, all private schools should be banned while the state owned ones should be funded well in order to provide better opportunities for all. Conclusion In conclusion, if all private schools were banned, it would give the rich an incentive to fund state owned ones since their children will to be attending alongside children from poor backgrounds. This will be a fairer way to deal with the rising difference between the rich and the poor (Carney, 2007). On the contrary, some argue that private schools offers impeccable education which may not be possible to access in state owned schools where there is limited access to resources, support persons and facilities. This is a fact that is discredited by failure by the government to fund state owned schools to the level of private schools. Therefore, it is justifiable to say that private schools should be banned. This is because private school is a major impediment to equity and valuable education for all. This implies that school systems should be designed in a way that both class and out of class activities offer equitable education for all. This as discussed earlier is only possible in absence of private schools. Private schools should therefore be banned by converting all existing private schools into public schools. In addition, all state owned schools should me further funded to ensure equity in learning. Annotated bibliography Caldwell, Brian, and Jessica L. Harris. Why Not the Best Schools? Camber well, Vic: ACER Press, 2008. Print. The source discusses successful schools from six different countries which include; Finland, whales, Australia, United States, China and England. The source was useful in analyzing the conditions driving success in schools. Carney, Martin, Amber K. Gove, and Jeffery H. Marshall: Cuba's Academic Advantage: Why Students in Cuba Do Better in School. Stanford, Caliph: Stanford University Press, 2007. Print. The source explains why schools in Cuba do well in school. The source was useful in discussing success factors related to their performance. This helped the researcher to compare education system in Cuba to others in the other parts of the world. Joshi, R D, and Adrian Verspoor. Secondary Education in Ethiopia: Supporting Growth and Transformation. Washington, D.C: World Bank, 2013. Print. The source discusses secondary school education in Ethiopia and how their education has promoted growth and development. In this book, the discussion is based on the context that private secondary schools perform better and contribute a greater percentage of those who qualify for university education. Kahlenberg, Richard D. Public School Choice Vs. [versus] Private School Vouchers: A Century Foundation Volume of Essays. New York: Century Foundation Press, 2003. Print. The source explains the United States battle between private school funding by the state in which the Supreme Court upheld the decision to compel the government to fund private schools. This source has is useful in comparing emerging issues in education funding and constitutional provisions behind the debate. Phillip son, Bob. Low-cost Private Education: Impacts on Achieving Universal Primary Education. London: Commonwealth Secretariat, 2008. Print. The author discusses the impacts of high cost in private schools and its impact on achievement of global basic education. It was useful in determining the extent to which lack of funds to take kids to private schools have led to infringement of their rights to equal education opportunities. Works cited Caldwell, Brian, and Jessica L. Harris. Why Not the Best Schools? Camber well, Vic: ACER Press, 2008. Print. Carnoy, Martin, Amber K. Gove, and Jeffery H. Marshall: Cuba's Academic Advantage: Why Students in Cuba Do Better in School. Stanford, Caliph: Stanford University Press, 2007. Print. Joshi, R D, and Adrian Versos: Secondary Education in Ethiopia: Supporting Growth and Transformation. Washington, D.C: World Bank, 2013. Print. Kahlenberg, Richard D. Public School Choice Vs. [versus] Private School Vouchers: A Century Foundation Volume of Essays: New York: Century Foundation Press, 2003. Print. Phillip son, Bob. Low-cost Private Education: Impacts on Achieving Universal Primary Education. London: Commonwealth Secretariat, 2008. Print. Read More