Getting Rid of Public Schools

After my most recent article on 6/10 was posted and sent out my computer bid me a fond adieu and crashed. A computer expert from our church is now checking it out and I hope he can do something to salvage it. However, and maybe it’s just my outlook, I don’t have lots of hope in that direction. So, I am using a borrowed computer for right now until I can find out whether resurrection is possible or if the last rites need to be read.

But I noticed on https://www.lewrockwell.com today an article by Lew about getting rid of public schools. While Lew’s article is theoretic at this point, it might have possibilities for the future. He quotes something Fred Rees wrote at some point. And while I haven’t always agreed with Fred Reed, when it comes to public schools, he is right on the money here.

Fred had some penetrating analysis. He said: “I wonder what purpose the public schools serve other than to warehouse children whether their parents work or watch television. They certainly don’t teach much, as survey after survey shows. Is there any reason for having them? Apart from their baby-sitting function, I mean.” Unfortunately, they do teach something, Fred, and it’s probably something you don’t want your kids learning.

Fred notes that millions of kids graduate from high school unable to read. He analysis the different types of students from the not too bright to the truly intelligent and notes how public schools “educate” them all with a “one-size fits all method. Fred asks the question “How much did you learn in school, and how much have you learned on your own? Asking myself the same question, I come up with typing and two years of algebra.” So, I observed for myself the same question and I came up with writing and typing. Scratch the algebra–I was lousy at math of all kinds!

We had a year of US history in 10th grade, but who remembers that unless you have an interest in history. And most history teachers bore you to death with names and dates and never get around to personalities and reasons for what happened.

Lew Rockwell observes that “…public schools are part of our civic religion,” and he mentions a book by Murray Rothbard. Education: Free and Compulsory which might be worth checking out. And he notes that public education is not so much education in the way we think of education but is rather “indoctrination in the civic religion.” This is an important point, and most people miss it! Check out Lew’s article for 6/13/22.