Diversity and Choice in School Education: a modified libertarian approach

Abstract

Abstract In recent times and in various countries there has been considerable pressure to raise educational standards and levels of student achievement. As a means to that end there has been a drive from the political right to greater diversity of school provision and an increase in parental choice of school. In theory, this market approach should be self‐correcting and so allowed to run its course without state intervention. The political left, whilst sharing the aspiration to excellence in the school system, has been thrown into a defence of some of the status quo ante and so at times into an anti‐libertarian position. It is argued that diversity and choice in the UK are defensible, drawing from both left and right libertarian positions. Though the two are not by any means always compatible, some combination is intellectually tenable and a possible basis for policy. In this modified libertarian approach, potentially acceptable to both left and right, diversity and choice are taken to be desirable unless...