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Debate: Public schools
From Debatepedia
[Edit] What are the pros and cons of public schools? Should government run schools? |
[Edit] Background and contextPublic-school education in the United States is provided mainly by local governments, with control and funding coming from three levels: federal, state, and local. Curricula, funding, teaching, and other policies are set through locally elected school boards by jurisdiction over school districts. The school districts are special-purpose districts authorized by provisions of state law.In the United States, institutions of higher education that are subsidized by U.S. states are also referred to as "public." However, unlike public secondary schools, public universities charge tuition, though these fees are subsidized, particularly for "in-state" students, and are usually lower than those charged by private universities. Community colleges are examples of public institutions of higher education, although there are many highly-regarded universities that are deemed 'public', both due to their subsidized tuition for "in-state" students, and because the administrations of many of these universities are elected via the general electoral ballot. Some believe that public schools are an essential part of the infrastructure of the United States. They are available to all citizens regardless of income level. These schools meet a fundamental societal need by creating an informed electorate, and promote the general welfare by creating a more skilled workforce. Others believe that most, if not all, public-school users benefit from government subsidies in attending public schools, thus their parents incur a lower cost (if any) to attend public schools than do their tuition-paying private-school counterparts to attend private schools, and given the existence, support for, and proliferation of private schools, at present it remains indeterminate whether public schools are a government entitlement program, or a feature of the welfare state. The debate generally asks whether public schools should exist, or whether a private system would be superior. See Wikipedia: Public schools for more background. |
[Edit] [ ![]() Should all children be educated through the public school system? | |
[Edit] Yes
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[Edit] No
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[Edit] [ ![]() Should people who avoid the public school system contribute towards it? | |
[Edit] YesClick on the pencil icon and research and write arguments here
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[Edit] NoClick on the pencil icon and research and write arguments here
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[Edit] [ ![]() Pro/con resources | |
[Edit] Yes
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[Edit] No
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[Edit] External links |