Forwarded from Anthony (vouchers)

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>]

Re: Public vs. private education (reply to José)

I really appreciate Richard Fidler's remarks to Jose about school 
vouchers. They are right on the money. (To: "Marxism list" 
<marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>  Subject: Re: Public vs. private education 
(reply to José) From: "Richard Fidler" <rfidler@xxxxxxxxxx> Date: Thu, 
18 Jul 2002 10:44:02 -0400 Reply-To: ts.panix.com   Sender: 
owner-marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)

Free, universal, public education was the single most important victory 
of the working classes and oppressed in epoch of the bourgeois 
revolution. It eclipses by far freedom of speech and organixzation. The 
bourgeoisie has een trying to destroy that victory since we won it. In 
doing so, they have made the exercise fo our hard won right difficult. 
That is why Jose's experience with pupbilc eductiona was so bad.

The way forward to socialist revolution is not to abandon what we won in 
the past - but to defend it to the death - and fight to expand on those 
past victories.

That's how I see it.

All the best, Anthony 

Some comments on José's reply to me, dated July 10 and posted on the 
list July 15.

First off, I sympathize entirely with José in the dilemma he faced in 
the Atlanta school system, and I think I would have reacted in much the 
same way - pulling my kid out of the prison-like inner-city school, 
putting her in a private (even mildly religious) school with an ambiance 
much more appropriate to learning. There can be few more emotionally 
wrenching experiences than the clash of capitalist reality with our 
principles and ideals as it affects our kids, and I would be the last to 
criticize any parent for personally opting for private schooling in the 
kind of situation José describes. Generally speaking, I think José's 
posts on this issue have done a lot to acquaint us (at least me) with 
the horrible reality faced by many working people, and particularly 
racial, ethnic and linguistic minorities, in the North American public 
school system.


--

Louis Proyect
www.marxmail.org



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