- 04 May 2023 02:15
#15273028
I would guess super rich private schools may in fact manage to go by without government funding. The rest, which are obviously the majority (particularly charter schools), don't.
At least Florida recently (late March) passed a law basically eliminating any restrictions on vouchers. By extension, this doesn't stop someone from setting up a woke school and getting voucher funding.
Maybe if such schools became significant, the GOP would change its mind on vouchers. But I find it unlikely as it would be unable to do as you say as it would be unconstitutional - if no woke schools are getting voucher funding it's because there are currently no woke schools basically, and this can perfectly change some years from now.
I would hardly say China is inclusive, secular or equitable.
Anyway, going back to the OP, like it or not you can't seriously compare the ban of the sale of certain children's book with the defining of school curriculum - even if a book is outside the curriculum or even banned from it, parents can just buy it for their children as it's not banned for sale to the general public. China doesn't even allow this in HK.
I also think that if you want to draw analogies with the West, 21st century US is a bad one. I'm pretty sure such censorship was far more common in the US before the 1960s and it is perfectly constitutional in several Western European countries (just try selling a children's book denying the Holocaust in Europe and report back). I'd draw comparisons with that if you want to make the case the West doesn't have anything to teach China in this regard, and just accept that type of ban is currently deemed unconstitutional (by plenty of SCOTUS precedent dating from the 1960s onwards) in the present-day US.
Fasces wrote:They will receive some form of taxpayer money, yes. Find me one independent school that "don't get government money".
Whether its a grant for providing at cost school lunches or others, a subsidy for vouchers they choose to accept, reduced price electricity available to educational institutions, tax relief for bus services. I sincerely doubt there is a single school in the US that doesn't receive some form of government money and thus would be eligible for backdoor oversight.
I would guess super rich private schools may in fact manage to go by without government funding. The rest, which are obviously the majority (particularly charter schools), don't.
Fasces wrote:But only if they teach leftwing concepts - we're perfectly OK with taxpayer money going to ideological schools on the right, such as the millions the Florida GOP is sending toward Christian schools in the state.
At least Florida recently (late March) passed a law basically eliminating any restrictions on vouchers. By extension, this doesn't stop someone from setting up a woke school and getting voucher funding.
Maybe if such schools became significant, the GOP would change its mind on vouchers. But I find it unlikely as it would be unable to do as you say as it would be unconstitutional - if no woke schools are getting voucher funding it's because there are currently no woke schools basically, and this can perfectly change some years from now.
Fasces wrote:Again, the debate isn't really "China is bad because their government intervenes in education." It is "China is bad because the worldview their government promotes is one I disagree with." I'm tired of having the fake debate with you people. It is OK for any government to intervene in education, to limit what political concepts students are exposed too, and to limit what content can be marketed to children. The GOP is ok with it. The Dems are ok with it. You're Ok with it.
I am not OK with governments choosing to take that right and promote Christianity, nationalism, or supremacy. When the GOP does this, they are being bad. I am OK with the government using that right to promote inclusivity, secularism, and equity. When the commies do this, they are doing good. If you want to have a debate about that, sure, but this fake one about "free speech" is not interesting.
I would hardly say China is inclusive, secular or equitable.
Anyway, going back to the OP, like it or not you can't seriously compare the ban of the sale of certain children's book with the defining of school curriculum - even if a book is outside the curriculum or even banned from it, parents can just buy it for their children as it's not banned for sale to the general public. China doesn't even allow this in HK.
I also think that if you want to draw analogies with the West, 21st century US is a bad one. I'm pretty sure such censorship was far more common in the US before the 1960s and it is perfectly constitutional in several Western European countries (just try selling a children's book denying the Holocaust in Europe and report back). I'd draw comparisons with that if you want to make the case the West doesn't have anything to teach China in this regard, and just accept that type of ban is currently deemed unconstitutional (by plenty of SCOTUS precedent dating from the 1960s onwards) in the present-day US.