The Freeman 1972 - The Ludwig von Mises Institute

80 THE FREEMAN Februarybecome nonconsumers in our educationalmonopoly. We employ"Keystone" cops called "truant officers"or more euphemistically,"attendance coordinators,"to chasethem when they attempt to declineour services.Twentieth century school systemshave come to be blatant examplesof nineteenth century enterprise.Writing about anachronousindustries, Henry Hazlittnoted: "It is just as necessary tothe health of a dynamic economythat dying industries be allowedto die as that growing industriesbe allowed to grow." A like casecould be made for abandoning outmodedcompulsory institutionalizededucation.Cand/emaker's PetitionBastiat's masterpiece of economicsatire was the tongue-incheekpetition to the Chamber ofDeputies requesting that ownersof houses be made to do withoutdoors and windows. He beratedsunlight as a foreign, low-cost,unfair source of illumination andasked that it be shut out to createa demand for artificial light whichwould benefit French manufacturersof lamps, tallow, and candles.Weeducators today are logicaltargets for the Bastiat philosophyas we defend our right to a monopolyof artificial enlightenment.It is. my belief that the servicesrendered by teachers in publicschools are a. primary economicgood. Our professional expertise isof such value that it need not beforced on anyone. In learning'sfree market, demand exceeds supply.Young people need not becompelled by legal entails to cometo school. It's a compulsion theyhave reason to hate. They have avalid case in history. Tea-lovingColonists refused to drink teawhen it was forcibly pressed onthem by a benevolent England.The Boston Tea Party made Americaa nation of coffee drinkers.Public education as it exists todayis economically unsound andpatently unfair. Schools offer contractsfor services to youths, butstudents have no legal way of enforcingthe obligation. In even therelatively modest school districts,teachers report to principals whoreport to area directors who reportto assistant superintendentswho report to associate superintendentswho eventually report tothe superintendents who are solelyresponsible to the boards ofeducation.Each level above the pedestrianclassroom teacher is insulatedfrom students. Every educatorposition above the teacher levelin the system is politicaL Publicrelations know-how is the criteriafor successful ·performance. Qualityof the product that reachesthe consumer is of· small concern