Education Policy: Free Schools

Schools should be free of governmental control. We will introduce
the rigour of competition to ensure that we provide young people
with the best possible education.

We will make it easy for anyone to set up a school. The government
will simply fund schools 'per pupil' on the condition that the school
is free for parents. popular and successful schools are encouraged,
unpopular failing schools close. This measure can be easily introduced alongside
the existing system, and will gradually replace it.

This policy is not new in europe. It has been incredibly successful in
Sweden, where huge numbers of new, efficient and popular independent schools
have been set up and have vastly improved the quality of that countries
education.

This system means that anyone who thinks they can run a popular,
successful school has the option to do so. Also, the market will
mean that schools are provided where parents and pupils need them. Supply will follow demand.

As a final note, the exam system should not be reformed without a
very compelling reason. The problem is not that the system is flawed,
but that it keeps changing. Continuity will allow teachers to
concentrate on their pupils, rather than constantly changing their
methods to fit new exam systems.

Our policy will create an education system where parents have choice,
schools have the freedom and incentive to improve, and pupils enjoy
more convenient and better quality education.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• education
• government
• britain
• liberal
• libertarian
• social
• freedom
• schools
• comprehensive
• grammar
• political
• commercial

[rtsjoe]

Firstly why would you want to get rid of governmental regulation?

Secondly, failing school would close?! Schools can't be responsible for the quality of their students, a system that closes down these schools would be unfair.

[onlineliberalism]

Schools would only fail through LACK of students, not quality of students. If they're paid per student, that means that they fail when not enough people go there, not otherwise! As for regulation, we're talking about excessive targets for teachers, etc. that the private sector does not have to endure, and yet the state sector does.

[xxPol]

Are you referring to both primary and secondary schools?

I am specially interested in secondary schools. Any reference about experiments in other countries (you mentioned Sweden), in the high schools sector?

I tend to agree to your vision.

I would also welcome a sort of coordinating committe, . possibly transnational, aimed at blending curricula.

What do you think?

Thank you

[onlineliberalism]

This could work for both primary and secondary education.

I think Finland also has a similar system, although they use a set national curriculum whereas Sweden allows lots of models of education, allowing the parents to choose.

Finland's system is a lot older, and it tops the international scoreboards.

Have you seen the IB (International Baccalaureate)? They are aiming (fairly successfully) to blend curricula on an international level.

[ProserpinaFC]

I usually hear this notion and I do appreciate it.

But I want to agitate it a bit and ask deeper questions about WHAT kind of programs, schools and methods can be used and how that will affect the schools.

Also, about accountability, parent involvement and schools in dangerous areas.

[onlineliberalism]

Apologies for the delay.

The great thing about this reform is that the method that works best eventually emerges. Any method of schooling could be used, presumably following a national curriculum, but it would be the parents who decide where their kids go.

If the method of education is discredited, they don't send their kids there and thus the school receives less money. If it works, then that education model is recreated and it expands as it's profitable for free-schools to do so!

[visionarii]

I'm a student in Sweden and the school system here works really well. I go to IB in Hvitfeldtska, a high status program and school, without paying any tuition fee. Parent's wealth is not what makes the school, but the highly ambitious students. That is socialliberalism for me.

[frostyuk2007]

Sure, stealing the Swedish education model is better than sticking to Government inadequacies.

And wrong, the system is flawed and your policy should stay the hell out of education and allow the free market to decide what is taught and how.

By free market obviously I mean the parents of children will decide as no free market businessman/woman would be in business if they didn't listen to their customers.

Kids should be taught how to think, not what to think. So at last, they'll have a chance

[onlineliberalism]

Willy,

Given your comments on other videos, its clear you are a classical liberal and as such dont agree at all with the social liberal position.

We would set up a system, alongside the existing one, which would pay schools per pupil, as stated in the video.

By Free we mean free from central government direction, but the taxpayer would still pay.

We think that having non-universal education would make people less free, children have no choice over whether they get an education.

[willyrobinson]

what of price?

you said free schools. Free from government or are you saying somehow it would be free from cost and from government? b/c there you run into some very untenable ground

my position is i will gladly pay or work for the education my children receive and i dont expect other people pay for mine or for the teachers to be paid by the state rather than the school or clients who hire them out which ultimately ensures that generally the best will receive higher wages due to demand.