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Public good is considered a "public good" if it has the attributes of
non-excludability and non-rivalry. Classical examples are defense, air
quality, and a handful of others. Clearly, education is easily
excludable. One can easily educate some people and exclude others --
in
fact, we do it all the time, even if not necessarily intentionally
(smile). Similarly, education does not have the attribute of
non-rivalry. If we spend more on some subset of students (e.g.,
students
with disability, or middle-class students), clearly less is left over
for others, given finite resources available to education. Again, we
see
the rivalry inherent in education all the time around us.
I understand that you want to treat education as something that is
good
for the whole public. Nothing wrong with that, but it is not a "public
good" in the economic sense and hence arguments that it inherently
must
be provided by the public are inapplicable. In fact, Sweden is
precisely
an example why education is not a "public good" in the economic sense.
Consequently, it is correct to argue about education based on its cost
and its quality when provided by government or by the free market, and
the philosophical implication either of them creates, rather than
attempt and close-off the discussion under the "public good" label.
Which brings me to your comment that perhaps we can trust parents in
<fill in the blank place> and cannot trust parents in the U.S. This is
not only patronizing, it is simply wrong. On one hand it assumes that
there are no ignorant or backward people in Sweden while we somehow
have
a large number of them. On the other hand it ignores the fact that all
those supposedly untrustworthy parents still control much of their
children lives -- from providing health care to nutrition, shelter,
and
raising their children -- and also are good enough for vote and choose
our representatives, approve or reject ballot measures, and run their
own lives and businesses.
Ze'ev