Comments on: Does a social contract require us to put our children in schools? http://larrysanger.org/2012/09/does-a-social-contract-require-us-to-put-our-children-in-schools/ Thu, 02 May 2013 00:07:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Homeschooling Is Bad for Society http://larrysanger.org/2012/09/does-a-social-contract-require-us-to-put-our-children-in-schools/#comment-56929 Homeschooling Is Bad for Society Mon, 17 Sep 2012 14:05:21 +0000 http://larrysanger.org/?p=1329#comment-56929 [...] or sends their child to private school is not an active member of society is beyond silly.Larry Sanger, co-founder of Wikipedia:The next issue is more to the point: while we might have an obligation to [...] [...] or sends their child to private school is not an active member of society is beyond silly.Larry Sanger, co-founder of Wikipedia:The next issue is more to the point: while we might have an obligation to [...]

]]> By: Larry Sanger http://larrysanger.org/2012/09/does-a-social-contract-require-us-to-put-our-children-in-schools/#comment-56904 Larry Sanger Fri, 14 Sep 2012 02:39:14 +0000 http://larrysanger.org/?p=1329#comment-56904 Maybe so. :-) If everyone quit school, I'm pretty sure school would cease to be funded. Maybe so. :-)

If everyone quit school, I’m pretty sure school would cease to be funded.

]]> By: PokerDad http://larrysanger.org/2012/09/does-a-social-contract-require-us-to-put-our-children-in-schools/#comment-56903 PokerDad Fri, 14 Sep 2012 02:31:09 +0000 http://larrysanger.org/?p=1329#comment-56903 Good point. In theory then, if everyone quit school, would all that appropriated tax revenue just go into general funds? I also know in some places, the levies have to be renewed but not sure if this happens everywhere. Regardless, perhaps the best thing we can do is to choke off the cancer of society LOL Good point. In theory then, if everyone quit school, would all that appropriated tax revenue just go into general funds? I also know in some places, the levies have to be renewed but not sure if this happens everywhere. Regardless, perhaps the best thing we can do is to choke off the cancer of society LOL

]]> By: Larry Sanger http://larrysanger.org/2012/09/does-a-social-contract-require-us-to-put-our-children-in-schools/#comment-56902 Larry Sanger Fri, 14 Sep 2012 01:08:47 +0000 http://larrysanger.org/?p=1329#comment-56902 Not exactly. School budgets, as I understand it, are usually determined by the number of students enrolled. If school rolls drop, so do school budgets. You know how there are complaints in certain quarters that school budgets have been cut? Well, I figure some amount of this is due to the surging numbers of homeschoolers. Not exactly. School budgets, as I understand it, are usually determined by the number of students enrolled. If school rolls drop, so do school budgets. You know how there are complaints in certain quarters that school budgets have been cut? Well, I figure some amount of this is due to the surging numbers of homeschoolers.

]]> By: PokerDad http://larrysanger.org/2012/09/does-a-social-contract-require-us-to-put-our-children-in-schools/#comment-56901 PokerDad Fri, 14 Sep 2012 01:01:14 +0000 http://larrysanger.org/?p=1329#comment-56901 My first question upon seeing the title was "where was this social contract 200 years ago?" In the time that social contract was constructed by Locke and others, public education hadn't even been invented yet. Aside from this, you point out a few of the author's weaknesses. However, when you said: "dropping out of a deeply ailing institution–as the public school system has become, in many ways–puts much-needed pressure on that institution to achieve meaningful reform." This is actually false. You pay for H's public schooling whether you like or not and whether or not he attends. Therefore, the funding is there whether or not a student attends. You cannot pressure them into reform by paying them for a product that they don't have to supply. On a ledger, it's a credit with no liability at all. It's like the best of both worlds for the public institution.... money for nothing! My first question upon seeing the title was “where was this social contract 200 years ago?” In the time that social contract was constructed by Locke and others, public education hadn’t even been invented yet. Aside from this, you point out a few of the author’s weaknesses.

However, when you said:
“dropping out of a deeply ailing institution–as the public school system has become, in many ways–puts much-needed pressure on that institution to achieve meaningful reform.”
This is actually false. You pay for H’s public schooling whether you like or not and whether or not he attends. Therefore, the funding is there whether or not a student attends. You cannot pressure them into reform by paying them for a product that they don’t have to supply. On a ledger, it’s a credit with no liability at all.

It’s like the best of both worlds for the public institution…. money for nothing!

]]> By: Jo http://larrysanger.org/2012/09/does-a-social-contract-require-us-to-put-our-children-in-schools/#comment-56899 Jo Thu, 13 Sep 2012 22:06:09 +0000 http://larrysanger.org/?p=1329#comment-56899 Larry, I think you give the guy too much credit when you call his argument interesting. Participating in society can't possibly be synonymous with acquiescing silently to society's demands. Parents have been upset by compulsory schooling since its introduction for many reasons and have fought against it or to reform it in many ways. That's participating in society too. Homeschoolers have participated and continue to participate in society by trying to shape it to conform to their vision of what's good. They have legal groups that fight to change laws they don't like and to encourage the creation of laws they do like. This is how all members of a free society ought to participate in their society. Consider Wisconsin v. Yoder and any number of more local cases involving schools and the free exercise clause. One can agree or disagree with the decisions, but it's hard to see how citizens who work hard inside the legal system to change laws aren't participating in society. I don't know if people who drop out are participating in society, but people who fight for their constitutional rights to do things that might be described as dropping out are certainly participating, and valuably so, in my opinion. Larry, I think you give the guy too much credit when you call his argument interesting. Participating in society can’t possibly be synonymous with acquiescing silently to society’s demands. Parents have been upset by compulsory schooling since its introduction for many reasons and have fought against it or to reform it in many ways. That’s participating in society too. Homeschoolers have participated and continue to participate in society by trying to shape it to conform to their vision of what’s good. They have legal groups that fight to change laws they don’t like and to encourage the creation of laws they do like. This is how all members of a free society ought to participate in their society. Consider Wisconsin v. Yoder and any number of more local cases involving schools and the free exercise clause. One can agree or disagree with the decisions, but it’s hard to see how citizens who work hard inside the legal system to change laws aren’t participating in society. I don’t know if people who drop out are participating in society, but people who fight for their constitutional rights to do things that might be described as dropping out are certainly participating, and valuably so, in my opinion.

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