The great state of Oklahoma recently enacted House Bill 1934 (Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit Act). Tax credits up to $7500 will be available per student when attending a private school. Governor Stitt declared this act to be “very, very important to me.” The governor also prophesied, “I think twenty years from now we’re going to look back on this budget for parents’ choice and say, ‘This was really, really good for a lot of parents across the state of Oklahoma.’” We shall see. Already the Roman Catholic Church and many independent schools are expanding their facilities and establishing schools in rural areas to take advantage of the potential income.
Also, the new law offers a $1000 income tax credit per student for “qualified expenses” related to homeschooling. Originally, the amount of credit was to be $2500 per student. Nevertheless, the $1000 credit is a goodly amount and should make paying Oklahoma taxes less onerous.
Other states have similar laws. Indeed, most European countries have school choice. Several studies have shown that the public schools have not be been impacted that much except when noncompetitive schools were closed, which is a good thing. With their having to compete with the private and home schools, public schools will be required to get their act together, i.e., start educating and stop social engineering. This does appear to be a positive good.
My reservation regarding this business is about the basic question that is never asked: “By what authority does the civil government claim to educate anyone?” Politically, the state does not derive its power to educate by nature, but by brute force. Compulsory-attendance laws along with confiscatory taxes are the basis for the government’s authority. According to nature, the home is the only institution having the legitimate role to educate children. Therefore, the government’s role in education is illegitimate, and no reform will ever improve the public schools because of this illegitimacy.
Since the state assumed this duty to educate by fiat, then what the government gives, it can likewise take away. Currently, Oklahoma remains in the whole a community of people who value tradition and a quiet life. While there are areas of progressiveness, most of the citizens prefer the old ways over the new and improved. Conservative governments encourage this type of worldview: I’ll mind my own business unless I ask you for your help. This is certainly true with homeschooling in Oklahoma where only the basic subjects are mandated with the number of hours the student must endure during the year.
But suppose the progressive citizens of Oklahoma become the majority. What then? Since homes schools will have been accepting tax credits all these years, home schools could be redefined as “public schools” using public funds for their existence. Maybe we should take a lesson from Sweden. At first the school choice law there was loosely administered. No problems, until a new government took over. Then all changed. Independent and home schools now come under the scrutiny of the civil authorities. Today the curriculum has to agree with the public schools’ curriculum and has to be approved. Home schools are under the additional burden that a “teacher employed by the local board must visit the child or children regularly and their parents or guardians must demonstrate that the child or children gain sufficient education and experience in the Swedish culture and society.” (“Sweden Homeschooling,” homeschoolerpro.com).
In the future, if such a law stated that children must “gain sufficient education and experience in the American culture and society,” how would this statement be interpreted? The point is that most people are pretty certain that civil governments by nature are very fickle. What was once taken for granted is now restricted. What was once at liberty is now under surveillance. Will tax credits be a way to bring all independent education under the umbrella of Big Brother? I hope not. But there is always that pesky annoyance called “past history” where we ought to gain wisdom. I truly pray for us in Oklahoma that the words of Governor Stitt will indeed be those of a true prophet.
THE DUNCE'S CORNER 