School ‘Vouchers’ Need a Name Change

I guess “school vouchers” need a new name. Do you remember the GI Bill, where veterans could get a grant or a loan to go to any school they wanted--University of California, Brigham Young or an aircraft maintenance school? It didn’t make any difference if it was a public school, a religious school or a private trade school. The same goes for federal Pell grants--public or religious--no difference.

Now when we want to give the kids school vouchers to enable them to go to a school of their choice, people go bonkers--using government money to go to a religious school! How dare they? I think it is the public schools’ administrations and teachers who are fighting so hard to stop this. It would encroach on their territory.

Maybe school vouchers should be called “choice grants” and people would not be so against them. If the grants were available, I think it would amaze you how many private secular schools would sprout up to take care of the kids who wanted to use them.

Gordon Walker

Anaheim