DEAR EDITOR:
Nothing improves the quality of a product as having to meet
honest competition!
DEAR EDITOR:
Nothing improves the quality of a product as having to meet honest competition! Tom Mulhern, in his May 25 column shakes his head in wonderment at “how it came to be that almost daily there’s another story about some strange occurrence regarding the schools, teachers, or students?” Then Doug Meier, in his column, writes “the perversity of cultural diversity” revealing further controversy and conflict in our schools?
Is something amiss with our educational system? And if so, what is wrong and why? There are approximately 12 percent of children homeschooling and a larger percentage attend parochial schools. As I see it, the basic problem lies with the public schools’ monopoly on the educational tax dollar, thereby severely restricting competition and eliminating parental choice for a quality education for their children.
To get a better perspective, we must review history. Public education was initiated by the church – back in the Middle Ages. Printing and paper became available and with that Bibles became available. The church wanted its parishioners to learn to read in order for them to be able to read the Bible and so started public schooling. Fundamentally, Christianity was the motivating force behind public education (in the western hemisphere). Today it is very, very different.
Starting in 1933, John Dewey, Professor of Education at Columbia University of New York City, introduced the tenants of the “Humanist Manifesto” into the public school curriculum. Gradually, over time, humanism (based on evolution) has replaced Christianity as the foundation of our educational system.
There is an axiom in logic that states “If you start with a false premise, no matter how correct and logical your reasoning, you can never arrive at truth.” With this in mind, and knowing our educational system is based upon humanism with its false foundation of evolution, how can we ever approach cosmic justice or a truthful education for our children?
This fundamental flaw in education is compounded by the monopoly public education has on educational tax dollars. Parents desiring a religiously oriented education for their children are denied equal access to educational tax dollars. Such parents are in double jeopardy – they must pay through taxes for public education, and then again all costs of private education.
To deny access to tax dollars violates the parents’ guarantee of free exercise of religion under the First Amendment, relegating them to second-class citizenship. Their Constitutional rights are further violated under the 14th Amendments guarantee of equal protection: Why should homeschoolers have to pay twice for their children’s education?
Can a leopard change his spots? It is foolish to think public education will ever remedy its deficiencies short of honest competition by the private sector.
J.G. McCormack, Gilroy
Submitted Friday, June 4 to [email protected]
