Clark recently
created a stir when he spoke about the Finnish educational system. Finland has the world's highest achieving students. Teachers are treated as entrepreneurs in the classroom and can teach whatever they want. There's little emphasis on standardized testing, and there's no state-controlled curriculum.
In fact, they're a great example of free enterprise in the education field. What makes it odd, however, is that Finland has a long socialist background!
The equally socialist Sweden is also letting the free market work in their schools. They've adopted vouchers. Sweden's voucher system allows parents to opt out of the public schools and send their kids to private school regardless of family income.
The Financial Times of London reports Sweden is now planning to institute a voucher system for the elderly seeking nursing homes. Once again, the elderly will be able to shop for basic long-term care regardless of income.
The United States is supposed to be a beacon for free enterprise. Yet free enterprise stops at the door whenever it comes to something that government gets involved in -- like education and healthcare.
We need to reinvigorate how we spend our tax dollars. It doesn't matter if you don't have children or elders; it's still coming out of every paycheck. Clark is a dyed-in-the-wool capitalist, but he thinks we need to follow the lead of socialist Sweden and Finland on these points.
