The Separation of School and State

As part of the 2007 Lecture Series at the Ayn Rand Institute (ARI), C. Bradley Thompson's lecture entitled, "The Separation of School and State: The Case for Abolishing America's Government Schools" is now available to registered users at the ARI. Those not registered can go here to get registered.

Thompson's lecture is also available for purchase (DVD/CD) at the Ayn Rand Bookstore and is described as:

Why do so many Americans—liberal and conservative—support a compulsory system of government-run education? What role should the State play in educating America’s children? Are government schools compatible with a free society? Is it possible to have a free market in education?

In this lecture Dr. C. Bradley Thompson, Professor of Political Science at Clemson University, examines the destructive effects of "public" education in America. He critiques the principal assumptions behind government schooling (e.g., that children have a "right" to an education and that government schools are for the "public good"). And he calls for the abolition of all government schools. Thompson presents a principled argument for a free market in education that begins with the rights and responsibilities of parents to provide for the education of their own children.