What America Can Learn From School Choice In Other Countries

Parents in many other countries have more freedom of choice in education than Americans do. In Chile, Sweden, and the Netherlands, they can choose private schools without financial penalty. As we expand school choice in the United States, reformers and policymakers should look beyond our borders and learn from the examples of other countries. Critics in America claim that school choice would benefit a minority of students at the expense of the majority or that choice in education would drain funding from public schools and segregate students into racial or economic groups.Are these claims based on fact or fear?

In this collection, scholars from Europe, South America, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and the United States examine other countries’ experiences with school choice and draw out critical lessons for America. What school choice policies are most effective? How well do private schools serve the poor? What policies are necessary to promote the widest selection of educational opportunities for the largest number of children? Also, what controls and regulations are most harmful to the development of a competitive education industry? Has school choice in other countries led to a free education market, or has it, at least in some cases, led instead to increased regulations, regimentation, and uniformity among private and public schools?

The wealth of information and insights contained in this volume will aid policymakers and reformers as they search for the best ways to improve American education.

“What America Can Learn is a landmark collection that will provide thoughtful guidance and stimulate much-needed change.… Essential reading.”
—Rod Paige, Former U.S. Secretary of Education

“This book provides a useful compendium of educational policy from other countries that ought to inform our own debates as we travel down the road of reform. The experience of other countries is essential so that we can improve upon their successes and learn from their mistakes.”
—Clint Bolick, President and General Counsel, Alliance for School Choice

“Both supporters and skeptics of choice-based reform will find this volume provocative and deserving of a thoughtful read.”
—Frederick M. Hess, Director of Educational Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute

“This book clearly shows the potential for choice to improve student outcomes, provide better services for the disadvantaged and disabled, and increase options for families.”
—Eric Hanushek, Paul and Jean Hanna Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution of Stanford University

David Salisbury is director of the Cato Institute’s Center for Educational Freedom. He was formerly an associate professor in the Graduate School of Education at Florida State University and president of the Sutherland Institute in Salt Lake City, Utah. His articles have appeared in scholarly journals and in USA Today, Forbes, New York Post, and the American Spectator. He is author of Five Technologies for Educational Change and coeditor of Educational Freedom in Urban America.

James Tooley is director of the E. G. West Centre for Market Solutions in Education at the University of Newcastle, U.K., where he is also professor of education policy. He was formerly director of education at the Institute of Economic Affairs. Before taking up educational research, he was a mathematics teacher in Zimbabwe. He is the author of Reclaiming Education and The Global Education Industry.