2000-03-11

For the year 2000, I am being forced to pay approximately $500 in property tax that will be appropriated to State and Local Schools. I do not have, nor do I plan on creating (pro, amateur or otherwise) any children. One of the multitude of reasons I decided long ago never to become a father is that the responsibility of a parent to ensure the proper education of their child is so great. More of a responsibility than I am comfortable with. It disgusts me that I am forced to pay my hard-earned money to support the mis-education of the local youth. I find this as offensive as if the local and state churches were able to force me to pay a tithe to support the religious training of other peoples progeny. And yes, the comparison between church and school is justified. Most of the students time is wasted on non-educational indoctrination. School and state ought to be as separate as church and state.

Our current public education system is not geared towards producing well educated competent citizens, but rather homogenized mindless drones capable of performing menial tasks without questioning authority. However, even if I were a parent and the public schools taught logical thinking, problem solving, hard science, music, art, writing, math, languages and other things I think they ought to be teaching, I would still oppose forced taxation to fund education. If someone is going to have children, they should be fully fiscally responsible for educating them.

Of course, my solution would be to abolish the public school system and let the free market provide alternatives. Anyone who wanted to continue to pay for the education of other peoples children could contribute voluntarily to scholarship funds, or set up their own scholarship program.

My advice to anyone who has, or is considering having children:
Home School or find a good private school. If that is not feasible, do your best to make sure that your child is actually receiving an education. Let your child make as many decisions about their own education as possible.

Mental hospitals and schools are both called institutions. Does your child really need to be institutionalized?

If the previous rant seems disjointed and not particularly well thought out, I have one comment:
I attended public schools.

related information:
Public Schooling, Indoctrination, and Totalitarianism UChicago Working paper by John R. Lott.

Separation of School and State Alliance