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There is another thread that questioned the requirement of school boards for private, secular schools in Canada. I started this thread as it seemed some of the posts in that thread were not related to the school board question but rather about education options and taxation in general.

The questions I would pose are:

#1 - What options should you as a taxpayer have for directing your tax dollars to education?

#2 - What options should you have as a parent or guardian in providing education to your children, and should tax dollars fund it?

   

My general opinions are:


#1 - As a taxpayer I should not be forced to pay into a school system that we will never use. We all pay taxes for health care because we will all eventually use it but not the case in education. I should have the option to direct my taxdollars, in the form of the per student enrollment allotment that the gov't uses, to whichever education form I choose.


#2 - A parent/guardian should be able to choose whatever form of schooling they want for their child without stiff restrictions by the government. The law requires that students be enrolled into a "school" between the ages of 7 and 16 and the caregiver must provide a written education plan outlining the curriculum to the local school board. As long as the base curriculum requirements are met (ie. english, math) the rest should be up to the caregiver.

   

   

So you think that only the people that use the education system should be paying for it? Where's your civil responsibility? Sure we pay high taxes in this country, but look at what we're getting. An excellent education system (for those kids that choose to take advantage of it) and we're still gravely lacking in the funding these schools need to survive.

I do agree that a parent/guardian should be able to choose how they use the educational system. But keeping kids in schools from 7 to 16 is better than letting these kids think they have the freedom to do as they please.

I understand where you're coming from, but there simply aren't enough parents/guardians that have the capabilities to home school or private school their children. Think of it this way, you pay taxes that support the fire department all your life, do you think that if your house never catches fire that you shouldn't have to pay for those brave mens' salaries? Just because someone doesn't use a public service, doesn't mean they get to pick and choose which ones to pay for; the right to a free education is one of the fundamental principals that our country is based on.

   

And if you really think about it you are using it. Even if you never have kids. The taxes you pay to educate other people's kids make it such that there are nurses and doctors in the hospitals you go to, and well educated people in many other areas. As well, education lowers crime rates, teen pregnancy rates, and violent crime rates. I dont mind paying taxes to get kids educated if it will stop them from becoming drug dealers, or allow them to get a better job than working at a McDonalds.

   

Saskatchewan has a a BIG problem in that all land is eligable for land tax. this means that a factory which earns $20 million a year but only occupies 10 acres payes 1/100 of a farm which is 1000 acres but earns $100 thousand a year, before expenses.

   

house fires aren't that common as opposed to say grass fires, or industrial fires, fires in balestackes, gas tanks, elevators, or other areas where falmable matirials are stored. Thus the tax burden should be shared between agricultural, residental,and commercial land owners. This can also be said for roads as roads are used for personal, commercial and agricultural vehicles and equipment. School taxes on the other hand are badsed on the number of people and should be taxed on a person's home or home quarter (.64m^2=160 acres) rather then farmland.

   

I may end up using the fire department's services if something beyond my reaonable control occurs (ie. a fire) and therefore have no problems with my individual tax dollars go there; same as my example with the health care system.
We will not be using the public school system, ever, that's the difference there.



So long as that the "free" education you speak of is delivered through the governments system, with now allowances for variations on learning outside their boundaries. That, my dear Moogle, is one of the prime problems here.

   

Then I ask, do you have an education?

You must have at some point attended a publically funded school, heck even the catholic school boards get some tax dollars (which is another issue entirely), even if you never plan on having children or sending said children to public school, it's a civic obligation to make sure that children are allowed a free education.

Just look at the problems with the educational system in the United States, is that what you'd prefer?

   

I did attend a publicly funded school, of which my parents tax dollars contributed to. What I'm saying is that if they had chosen a private or home schooling option for me or if I choose a private or home schooling option for my children, our tax dollars should be able to be directed towards that option as well. If we do not want the "government option" let us choose our own and not have to pay twice; once for the gov't system and once for ours.



Look at the education system in Sweden, Finland, Australia, Japan, etc., etc......... Don't know, don't care, not applicable.

   

Because religious schools are pushed heavily aas nescessary by some religions, they should be optioned on your taxes. However the only reason for private schools is to put your kids ahead more than everyone else, and that shouldn't be given tax crdits and breaks.

   

Well I am going to a private school next year so should my parents ocntinue paying taxes for education now that no one in my immediate family is using public education?

   

Yes because everybody, even the old people have to pay taxes towards education.

The reason why faith based schools need funding is because many religions require or strongly suggest that upbringing should be strict and religion should be central.

However if this does not work. Mandatory relgion in school with athiests recieving world relgions and or secular humanism. ALso uniforms and a lot stricter behaviour code would be needed if we were to tell Catholics they either go secular or pay.

   

I have to disagree with you there.

How about wanting your children to be kept away from the negative influences that are prevelant in today's public systems. (i.e. bullies, cursing on the playground, no manners, lack of respect for your elders, physical violence, weapons in school, drugs in school)
There's also the quality of education, when you have to teach 30 kids in a class you're not going to get them all. You'll end up losing some of the gifted kids on top who aren't challenged by the curriculum and some of the troubled kids from the bottom who need more hands on help from a teacher.



No, your parents tax dollars should be directed to your private school to offset the cost of tuition, etc.




The reason any school needs funding is to offset the costs involved in provdiing that education.



Who said anything about mandatory religion?



Huh? I think you may be straying off course.

   

We should all pay for public education. If I want to send my kids to a privite school then I should pay extra. Sure an income tax deduction for a part of the tuition would be nice but its still my responsiblity to help pay for the public school board.

   

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