School Vouchers
In an effort to improve the education system in the United States, groups trying to save children from the effects of failing public schools are advocating the implementation of a school voucher program. The concept of the voucher program entails giving a voucher of a predetermined sum to parents with children of school age. ... It would not involve an increase as the vouchers would be taken from school taxes normally collected from all state citizens. Upon receiving the voucher, parents would present it to the school they would choose for their child to attend. This voucher would cover the entire cost of entrance to a government-run, public school yet parents can also choose to send their children to private school. ... It is this student’s opinion that, while the voucher system has been created with the best intentions, it could ultimately destroy the American public school program if it were to be applied widely. Undermining the traditional American ideal of universal education, school vouchers take students away from public schools rather than using these tax dollars to improve the quality of public schools. Private schools do not guarantee a better education as private school teachers may not have credentials and curriculum varies from school to school as the state has no control over the standards of these schools. ... Not only will vouchers potentially require that citizens pay for a private school education that they know little about but vouchers would force citizens to pay to possibly send children to a school that is centered around religion.