FREE ESSAY ON SHOULD WE PRIVATIZE OUR SCHOOLS

SHOULD WE PRIVATIZE OUR SCHOOLS

Our society, as a whole, has been heading toward a decentralized system of conducting its
affairs. Large corporations have been getting larger , meanwhile governments have been
giving up increasing amounts of their control. This decentralization has affected even
former mainstays of government control, such as phone and power companies. As
decentralization becomes more of a reality, there has been a great deal of debate over
what controls the government should maintain or relinquish.
The public school system has long been a source of frustration. Many feel the schools
would be run more efficiently and with better results if privately run companies were to
take over. They feel that with the existing large, encumbering bureaucracy, the
government is simply unable to provide the proper base that is necessary to support a
successful school system.
The proponents of privatized school systems have long maintained that governments are not
as knowledgeable about individual school environments as those who and they have to
manage many schools, whereas the owners of a specific private subsidized school would be
well informed about the school's circumstances and can concentrate on that school alone.
They say that the governments role should become that of regulator, not schoolmaster, and
that since the private schools do not face the political constraints that the municipal
governments face,they would be more able to adapt to change.
Since the operation of public schools is more bureaucratic and centralized than private
subsidized schools, it is expected to inhibit rather than promote educational innovation.
Private schools, being less bureaucratic and more
decentralized, are expected to be more efficient organizations and to have a
better perspective than their public school counterparts. They are also expected to
provide a greater incentive and opportunity to come up with more innovative programs than
public schools in order to stay competitive. 
Bureaucracy is expected to hinder initiative and efficiency, whereas the private sector
in general is expected to be more dynamic and responsive because of their need to stay
competitive. It is hoped that this competitiveness will foster innovation.
On the other side of the debate is the group that favors continued government control
over the school system. They argue that privatizing the schools would lead to a decreased
focus on the needs of the children with an increased emphasis placed on the bottom line.
They maintain that the companies taking over for the government would focus their
attention more on cutting corners to make larger profits rather than on the education of
children.
With continued government control over the school system, there will remain a stability
that is necessary to insure a full and equal educational opportunity for all. Having the
education system privatized would create inequalities in the method that education would
be provided. Those who oppose privatization agree that not only would municipal control
maintain stability, but would also ensure fair and equal teatment for all. The same would
not hold true if the schools were placed in private hands. Schools that do not make a
profit along with teachers that are no longer needed would simply let go in order to save
money or maintain profits.
I can see that there are several benefits on both sides. The economic benefits are
obviously in favor of a decentralized school structure. There be no bureaucracy to wade
through to make the simplest decisions, in the system would allow teachers to make
important ground level decisions as they see fit. This increased efficiency includes many
benefits, but with what cost?
What about the special needs children, or the under privileged, will the private
companies take care of them? What happens when these companies don't make enough money on
a school, will they close it down? The children whose schools have been closed will have
to travel further and further just to get to school, if they even go. Maybe there should
just be mega-schools were ten schools are combined into one, all to save the managing
company money.
With government control, there may not be efficiency but there is some stability. That is
the important thing. Companies can open and close their doors in a day, but schools are
more important than companies. Education is the key to our futures, can we afford to
gamble with what is a stake?
The government must become more efficient at doing its job in managing our schools, and
business has proven itself to be efficient. Maybe there is a way to combine the two and
receive the best of both worlds.