[IMC-Editorial] Letter on Nation's Report Card on American Education

[ARI Media]

Dear Editor:

According to the Nation's Report Card released on June 20, average
reading scores dropped "in virtually every level of expertise among
12th graders since the last exam in 1998 and in 1992." The report also
revealed that "among fourth graders, 25 percent of whites, 56 percent
of Latinos and 60 percent of blacks lack a rudimentary mastery of
skills."

The dismal results reported are a direct consequence of government attempts to
improve elementary and secondary education in America. Such attempts
have failed and will continue to fail for a simple reason: the way to
improve education is not more government involvement but less--much
less.

In fact, education in America will substantially improve only when the
government's virtual monopoly on education is replaced by a free
market, where bad schools go out of business, incompetent teachers are
fired, and worthless curriculums are dumped. 

As long as schools and teachers are not accountable to parents but to
the government, students will be trapped in our current educational
system, with little hope of getting the knowledge and thinking skills
they need to succeed in life.

Sincerely,

David Holcberg
Ayn Rand Institute
2121 Alton Parkway, #250
Irvine, CA 92606
United States
949-222-6550 ext. 226
davidh at aynrand.org

Please let me know if you decide to publish my letter. Thank you.

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