Issue No 77 | 10 November 2000 | |
NewsAmerican Voters Reject VouchersBy Wayne Patterson
- Country Organiser, NSW Teachers Federation As the Australian Senate debates the States Grants Bill, voters in California and Michigan have defeated proposals for private school vouchers by a two to one margin.
Under the voucher proposals, students enrolled in public schools with poor results in standardised tests would be eligible for vouchers which could be used to pay fees in private schools. The American doctrine of the separation of church and state has largely prevented direct government funding of private schools. Vouchers are seen by many as a means of circumventing this doctrine by providing government funds to students' families. Families could then choose to spend their vouchers on private schools. The voucher proposals were strongly opposed by American teacher unions which argued the proposals would siphon funds from needy schools and marginalise schools in disadvantaged areas by encouraging the flight of students from middle class families. Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush supported the voucher proposals; Democratic candidate Al Gore opposed them. Despite school funding being largely a responsibility of state and local governments, education was a major issue in the presidential race. The voucher proposals were the subject of referendums in Michigan and California where issues can be placed on the ballot by petition. The Michigan proposal also included mandatory testing of teachers in their subject area. The California proposal would have limited state and local authority to require private schools to meet standards, including state academic requirements and limited future health, safety, zoning, and building restrictions on private schools. Voucher proposals in both states were backed by wealthy conservatives, a venture capitalist in California and the founder of Amway Corporation in Michigan.
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