We reveal the underlying structure and assumptions, of the American system of "public schooling" especially those that lead to destructive school policies.

We showand hope to provethat even the best "public schools" create intolerable risks to children's ability to think rationally and to mature. By mature, we mean that they tend to restrain their emotional impulses with an ever-improving conscience.

In other words, rather than "socialized" so their behavior conforms to what "everybody is doing," they become "civilized" to become wholesome members of civil society. This gives them more strength to resist temptations to lie or cheat spouses, children, employers, customers, etc.

Further, we show the harm of school-by-government to family life, the American form of government, to our national unity, and even to our international security.

Unlike conventional education reform, the movement to separate schooling from the state is to replace government schooling, not fix it.

Unlike others, we are not calling for our favorite teaching methods to be the new One Size Fits All system that is forced on everybody. We are not calling for government-approved prayer in school, or even the reading of government-approved Scriptures. Nor are we proposing any form of tax-funding of private or religious schools.

We have concluded that government schooling cannot be fixed because it is not broken. It is gradually achieving its unswerving goal to reduce the role of the family by increasing the role of government.

Just imagine:

• Parents, not local, state, federal, or international politicians, would decide how much schooling is best for their children.
• Parents, not politicians, would decide what content should be taught.
• Parentsthrough their choice of schoolsnot politicians, would decide which schooling method is best for their children.
• Financially strapped and poor parents will receive tuition assistance from family, friends, and scholarship funds set up for that purpose. We'll return to the voluntary approach that worked so well for 220 years in America. No longer would politicians force Peter to pay for Paul's children's school.

Americans have lived for five generations with school-by-government. Conservatives and libertarians who hold a "Fix the Schools!" mentality seem to have a huge hidden assumption: While socialized medicine and socialized agriculture are to be avoided, somehow socialism works for schooling, at least if you get the right people in charge.

Thousands of people have helped clarify their ideas by answeringprivatelyfive little questions in the "World's Shortest Education Survey." You can, too, just by