Sunday, February 19, 2012

Is Public Education a Good or Bad Idea?

Rick Santorum questions the value of public education by defining state-run schools as “anarchronistic”. He thinks that public schools were originally build for factory workers’ children as working class people could not afford the time educating their children. However, he thinks that the old factories no longer exist while the public schools originated from that time still remain, which is not right. Mr. and Mrs. Santorum home-schooled their children (New York Times).

I personally think public education system in the U.S. is very good even though I never experienced it. When I came here for high school, I was not eligible for public education as a foreigner. So I never experienced it. I do have very smart friends who attended public high schools and achieved a lot in college. Before reading the article, I thought the public education in the U.S. is very good because families can use the money to afford their gas, houses, cars, and many other things. In addition, when I volunteered as a math coach to fifth graders at a public elementary school in Massachusetts, I saw how public education enabled children from unstable families to learn. Even though I know that Republican Party has not been the one advocates for how education can improve personal career opportunities, I am not sure how many comrades of Santorum’s will support his idea. It is still for me to imagine what it will be like if the public education system is not supported by government as it is today. Public education system enjoyed bipartisan support and I guess it may be a stretch for many people to agree with Senator Santorum.

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