School Vouchers
* “Tested in Chile, Vouchers Produce No Clear Gains” (June 2) seems to be comparing apples and oranges. This article criticizes an educational system in a country with a literacy rate of 95%, while the adult literacy rate for Los Angeles County is 87%, with only 20% of fourth-graders classified as proficient readers.
The Chilean educational system is dedicated to giving students a no-frills primary education. If the Los Angeles school system would use funds for basic education instead of funding the promotion of educational and social experiments, it would be able to raise the level of literacy in the elementary schools to where it belongs. This would also reduce the present need for teaching remedial English and mathematics in the community colleges and universities.
WILLIAM BROWN
Culver City
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
