Keep government out of private schools

Terry E. Peele, Las Vegas

Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2008 | 2:06 a.m.

It’s an election year and school vouchers have reentered the debate. Allow me to state here, so that I’m not accused of having a hidden agenda, that I am totally opposed to having tax dollars used for this purpose. I don’t want tax dollars used to promote religion, and if vouchers are allowed, parochial schools can’t be discriminated against. That understood, let’s examine some reasons why private schools have the advantage in education.

Foremost is that there is no government involvement in education at private schools. Private schools can control the size of their student body. This allows them to control the student-teacher ratio. Public schools don’t have this option. They are required to take all comers, and as a result the student-teacher ratio is greater.

Then there are the students who choose to be disruptive. Because private schools have no mandate to take all comers, they can permanently expel disruptive students. This allows private schools to concentrate on the students who wish to learn. Public schools don’t have this option. In fact, public schools are required to take in those disruptive students expelled from private schools.

These are just two ways in which private schools have the advantage.

Is there anyone willing to argue the point that with government money comes government involvement? Vouchers are government money. What happens when the child of a parent with a voucher in hand is denied entrance to a private school? In this litigation-crazy country there will most certainly be lawsuits for discrimination.

Yes, I have an agenda. However, I do not wish to destroy an institution — private schooling — by inviting government involvement. The First Amendment’s separation of church and state is also meant to protect religion from government.