School Vouchers: Secular Schools Only?

[Kludge]

:rolleyes: The poll question should read "Assuming the government puts a school voucher program in place, should they fund attendance of sectarian schools?"

Ignore constitutionality and do not assume this conversation is specifying whether the gov't is local, state, or federal. This thread should not cover whether or not school vouchers should exist nor any associated cons or benefits, but should instead specifically deal with the given subtopic. Try not to drift too far into homeschooling, please, though I imagine there are some good arguments in comparing. Article copypasta is okay. Let's exclude vouchers for post-secondary education from the conversation.

Were school vouchers to exist, do you believe they should fund attendance of students to schools which educate in core classes AND also devote resources to religious ceremonies and education?

Pros to funding sectarian schools:


Doesn't discriminate against schools for teaching the beliefs and history of a particular religion.
Would prevent The State from allegedly spreading its own secular humanist state "religion" by encouraging (through funding) students to attend public schools.

Cons to funding sectarian schools:


Would take taxpayer money to fund education in religious beliefs which differ from their own.
May eventually allow gov't to interfere in religious teachings if they set conditions for funding.

[micahnelson]

Schools should educate to the parents preference. I believe a board of college level educators from the state should be able to approve, by two-thirds majority to rule out individual bias, a school. The parents would choose from the approved schools.

As a possible firewall solution, schools could be asked to delineate the percentage of the religious instruction and ask the parents to fund that portion of the bill.

[UnReconstructed]

if they don't fund secular schools then that is discrimination eh?

[noxagol]

Yes, those parents are paying into that pool of money just like anyone else and they should be allowed to use what fraction of that they get in return to send their kid wherever they should so choose. Failing that, they should be able to receive a tax exemption upon proof of their child(ren) attending a school of faith.

[axiomata]

That's the main problem with the school voucher program. On first glance it sounds like a good, idea: giving parents choice about where to educate their children. But you are really just giving them the choice on where to use your tax dollars. What if they want to send their kids to a Madrassa? Should you and I be forced to pay for it?

[jsu718]

Well you are already being forced to pay it unless you live out of a box or car... and the way the public education system is going I would be hard pressed to say a Madrassa would be worse for them.

[angelatc]

Schools should educate to the parents preference. I believe a board of college level educators from the state should be able to approve, by two-thirds majority to rule out individual bias, a school. The parents would choose from the approved schools.
.

So liberal college professors have more say than the parents?

[Icymudpuppy]

While I would prefer no tax funded education, I would rather parents be allowed to use that voucher to send their children to whatever private school or homeschool they want. Catholic, Seventh day Adventist, Waldorf, Homeschool, Madrassa, Buddhist Monastery, etc.

[Pennsylvania]

If a voucher program were to be put in place, the vouchers should be redeemable at any school, whether religious or secular, since that is most consistent with the goal of complete privatization of the education system.

[angelatc]

If a voucher program were to be put in place, the vouchers should be redeemable at any school, whether religious or secular, since that is most consistent with the goal of complete privatization of the education system.

I can't wait to see the right wing try to figure out how to keep the Muslims from using vouchers in Muslim schools while simultaneously keeping them in the Jewish and Christian schools.

[Pennsylvania]

I can't wait to see the right wing try to figure out how to keep the Muslims from using vouchers in Muslim schools while simultaneously keeping them in the Jewish and Christian schools.

Eh, not much they could do really once vouchers were passed. Any attempt to exclude Muslims from the program would quickly become the ACLU's new pet project. I don't even see it going to the supreme court. :)

[jmdrake]

Yes, those parents are paying into that pool of money just like anyone else and they should be allowed to use what fraction of that they get in return to send their kid wherever they should so choose. Failing that, they should be able to receive a tax exemption upon proof of their child(ren) attending a school of faith.

:confused: Sounds like you answered the original question in the affirmative but your making an argument in the opposite direction.

[jmdrake]

Hmmmm....I can take a pell grant a go to Notre Dame but I can't take a voucher and send a kid to St. Mary's high school? And that's seen as logical?

The simplest solution would be to make all education expenses tax deductable. And yeah, that doesn't help the "poorest of the poor". But well funded private schools are better able to offer scholarships to the disadvantaged. And frankly I could care less if a Madrassa benefited or even the real world equivalent of Hogwarts.

Regards,

John M. Drake

[TastyWheat]

I think they should be applicable to sectarian schools as well, mostly because I highly disprove of public schools. I'm not saying this because of spite, but as long as a child is getting an education I don't like it should be an education they like and their parents approve of.

[TonySutton]

Yes, vouchers should be eligible at any locally approved school. This is the path to privatization of our school system. This can be a shining example of how getting government out of the way improves choice and performance.

[noxagol]

:confused: Sounds like you answered the original question in the affirmative but your making an argument in the opposite direction.

Yeah, I got confusled. They should be used in any school.

[nate895]

Oops, I answered wrong, I meant yes if religious schools are OK. I thought it said "secular" not "sectarian" schools.

[Grimnir Wotansvolk]

There's no such thing as secularism if the state is involved

[andrewh817]

Yes, those parents are paying into that pool of money just like anyone else and they should be allowed to use what fraction of that they get in return to send their kid wherever they should so choose. Failing that, they should be able to receive a tax exemption upon proof of their child(ren) attending a school of faith.

The problem is, the government gets their share before the "pool" is distributed. That and no one calculates the %.