Letter: School vouchers offer choice in education

Monday, Nov. 27, 2000 | 9:45 a.m.

The Sun's first position is that vouchers would create "a sharp division between educational haves and have-nots." What world is the Sun living in? It is the current education system that is sharply divided between haves and have-nots, with the rich able to afford high quality private schools while everyone else suffers in the monopolistic mediocrity of government schools.

The Sun then goes on to say it "does not buy" the argument that choice would improve the public schools because they would be forced to compete with private schools. That is not an argument. It is historic fact. Choice in education has existed in several countries around the world for decades. In every case one thing has been consistent: The public school system remains the dominant choice of the vast majority of parents. Why? Because it does indeed compete and does so quite successfully.

Choice is always better than no choice. For the Sun to suggest otherwise is just a shame.

KNIGHT ALLEN

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