President Donald Trump issued a proclamation declaring this week, Jan. 20-26, as National School Choice Week. The proclamation expresses concern about performance of U.S. students in international surveys: 24th in reading; 25th in science; 40th in math.
And it ascribes the cause of these disappointing statistics to the “consequences of the limitations imposed by a largely one-size-fits-all approach to education.”
It makes all the sense in the world to appreciate the value of bringing the marketplace and competition to education. Free markets serve us extremely well in delivering goods and services. Why shouldn’t one of our nation’s most important institutions — education — also benefit from competition?
It is ironic that the political left extols the importance of diversity while also wanting government monopolies. The conclusion should be the opposite. The more diverse a customer base, ethnically or any other way, the more diversity you need among suppliers to meet and serve the unique needs of different communities. This can only be achieved in free, private markets.