For intellectual life (school, education, science, art, religion, etc.) to develop fully, it needs freedom. That schools should teach children independently of political views and economic interests - I'm sure a majority of people would immediately sign that. But why then do we still have the officially regulated school system as part of the state's task? Schools today are not free. Numerous laws restrict the founding or running of schools - right down to specifications on the content of teaching. But the biggest obstacle is probably - as so often - money. Regular schools / state schools are generously financed by tax revenues. For families, a public school then means a double financial burden. Modest incomes can hardly afford to send their children to the school of their choice.
The limitation of legal life ("politics")
In order to guarantee the autonomy of schools, the state must never be tempted to dictate the content of a school. Such a separation or division can be achieved by the state never becoming the owner or sponsor/financier of a school. Consequently, it only has to determine THAT schools are needed, but not HOW they should look. It has to determine the financing model, but must NEVER come into possession of money or property itself.
The idea of education vouchers
It states that every child (or person) has a right to education, but is FREE to decide which school they want to attend. The vouchers are Instructions to the institutions that receive the school fees. They instruct, for example, that the money for child "A" be transferred to school "M". This fulfils the fervent wish of many parents to be able to send their child to the most suitable school. Almost incidentally, education vouchers realise the often invoked "competition" in education while preserving access to education for all. What more do we want?
How does this work in concrete terms?
Through the study of social tripartism (in the reading circle "The Key Issues of the Social Question) and the exchange of ideas in the forum "Where to as a society" a concrete proposal has been developed, which is presented below. We had the vision of a Swiss popular initiative (constitutional amendment by the electorate) in mind. If this idea should meet with interest, please let us know below with a comment or by email to info@anthro.world !
Greetings to you,
Oliver, September 2021
Draft Constitutional Article "Free Schools Thanks to Education Vouchers
- Preamble
Science, culture and education are part of the nourishing soil for everything that can arise in a society. It springs from the abilities and talents of its members. Every human being brings special talents into this world. Only freedom makes it possible for these talents to be individually developed. Not to bring them to fruition, or to bring them to fruition only in part, means foregoing their fruits for society. Content-related influences from politics and the economy inevitably lead to a restriction of this necessary freedom. Politics must therefore limit itself to the legal framework and only issue regulations that affect people as such in their equality. Such a legal life must never itself appear as a school or its financial supporter. It only has to determine whether schooling is compulsory and that its financing is guaranteed.
- School and education
- Everyone has a right to education.
- Every child is entitled to schooling from the age of 6 to 18.
- Every adult is entitled to 4 years of further education.
- The principle of free school choice prevails.
- Schools may be founded freely.
- Every school is free to choose which education it offers.
- The school administration is to be run by active teachers.
- Each teacher shall teach freely to the best of his/her knowledge and ability.
- The coordination of e.g. teaching content, examinations and final awards (diplomas etc.) is left to the schools.
- Everyone has a right to education.
- Education vouchers
- Every person receives education vouchers which he or she - or, in the case of minors, his or her legal guardians - can redeem according to his or her own choice and the availability of the school.
- Age-linked education vouchers that are not redeemed expire when the age is exceeded.
- Expired education vouchers are paid out to all schools on a pro-rata basis.
- Education vouchers cannot be paid out to trainees in cash or otherwise.
- Funding
- All people pay an equal share of their income into a designated trust according to their economic capacity.
- Each municipality of residence democratically determines which trustee companies are eligible.
- The trusts transfer the amount linked to the education voucher to the relevant school.
- A committee of the schools that provide a majority of the training determines the amount of the training vouchers on behalf of all the schools in order to ensure the continued operation of the training.
- The amount of the education vouchers must be approved democratically in the municipalities of residence.
- The residential municipalities are responsible for the execution of the payments to the trust companies.
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