Vol. XIII, ·No. 3 HUMAN EVENTS January 21, 1956

Artiele s~-tion VIRGINIA SHOWS A WAY

By F RANK C HODOROV

ARLIAMENT, said a British wag, has been The effect of this proposal- and that is the P known to do the right thing, but never implied intent- will be that white parents for the right reasons. That is another way of will . h~lVe the choice of sending their children saying that a political body, following the line to schools which do or do not enroll Negroes, of expediency, may accidentally hit upon a and Negro parents will have the choice of course rooted in right principle. The result is ~ublic schools, integrated, or schools for Ne­ none the less desirable because it is arrived at groes only. That is where a point of principle by chance. Many a patient has been cured comes into play: should parents have the right that way. of deciding on the companionship of their chil­ dren? (Involved is the larger question of The Virginia General Assembly last Decem­ whether the selection of associates is a pre­ ber authorized a referendum on whether to rogative of the individual or is a matter of call a convention for the purpose of consider­ public policy.) ing a change in the State Constitution. On January 9 the referendum was held, and the From the point of view of egalitarians, col­ people approved by a 2 to 1 vote the calling lectivists and all advocates of majority infalli­ of the convention. The ultimate effect of this bility - sometimes called "democrats" - the vote is to clear the way for the use of public choosing of their children's companions is not funds for the support of private, non-sectarian a right inherent in parenthood. The exercise schools. This purpose is the central theme of of such choice, they hold, is a social evil. To the report of the Gray Commission, which was Virginians, and ocher southern citizens, the appointed by Governor Stanley in August, choice of associates is not only a private matter, 1954, after the United States Supreme Court but the parent who does not concern himself outlawed race segregation in public schools. with it is neglectful of his obligation to his children. Even in the North, where there is no Btiefly, the report proposes that local com­ "Negro question," it is common practice for munities be allowed tp discontinue public white parents to seek out schools which have schools at their discretion. Whether or not no Negro pupils and to locate themselves in such schools are maintained, a student who such districts; this too is segregation, by choice, prefers an accredited private school will be al­ not by law. lowed a tuition grant equal to the present per­ pupil school cost of public schooling. There One side or the other in this matter of race are other recommendations, but they all rest discrimination, or maybe both, must be in on this one. error. But, since when is it sinful to be wrong?

Published weekly at 1835-K Street, N.W., Washington 6, D. C. · Copyright 1956 by HUMAN EviNTS; INc. Each of us is in error from somebody' s point of invest in a school of his own choosing; a mar­ view; to the Hindu th~ Chrisrian is in dire need ket for private schools will arise. of understanding, to the socialist the individ­ At first, of course, the difference between ualist is benighted, and Republicans look upon private and public schools will be along segre­ Democrats as fools of the first water. Taking gation lines. Once this matter is taken care us as a whole, therefore, we are all wrong. of, other points of differentiation will show up, But, since each of us values his opinion highly either in curricula or methods of teaching. There and wishes to hold on to it, it behooves each will be some prescribed requirements imposed of us to concede to the other the right to hold on the private schools, but these will be neces­ on to his; social life would be impossible with­ sarily general in scope; many details will come out that concession. To deny to any of us the within the discretion of -the school manage­ right of opinion is to curtail freedom, besides ment, as well as of the local communities, stultifying thought. If there is any absolute which have the authority to abolish public wrong, any positive error, it is the use of force schools altogether. in an attempt to achieve conformity - which is exactly what is wrong with the decision of the For instance, some private schools, at the Supreme Court on segregation. insistence of their customers, will go in for teaching along traditional lines, with emphasis Thus, whatever the motivation behind the on subject matter rather than methodology, action of the Virginia legislature and the elec­ leaving what is called "progressive" education torate, in the referendum, the accidental conse­ to others. We can be sure of that because "pro­ quence is to point up a basic principle of free­ gressivism" has come in for a great deal of dom - the right to be wrong. For that the criticism throughout the country. Under the country should be thankful. Virginia plan, this controversy will be settled by the inexorable law of competition. Per­ F THE GRAY CoMMISSION's report is put haps "progressivism," with its insistence on I into law, we may expect other accidental educating the group rather than the individual, consequences that should go a long way toward will in time prove itself to the satisfaction of solving some of the current, vexing problems its clientele; perhaps the trade will actually of our educational system. Nearly everybody, prefer that conglomerate course known as :·so­ teachers as well as parents, is convinced that the cial science" to the old fashioned disciplines of system needs some overhauling, although there history, geography and civics. The market will is violent disagreement on what should be done. decide. The Virginia experiment may very well settle The big change will be in the high schools. the argument. Some parents still hold that education is a The effect of tuition grants - which is really process of disciplining the mind, not the learn­ the remission of taxes - will be to create an ing of a trade, and are of the opinion that a effective demand for private schooling. In eco­ knowledge of mathematics, rhetoric, literature nomic parlance, an effective demand is a desire and even Latin will prosper their offspring backed up with the wherewithal to satisfy it. more than knowing how to behave on a "date" In this case the parent will have the capital to or how to drive a car. For their children, if they can make the grade, there will be a classi­ the collectivists will prove themselves to be a cal high school; the public high school, with minority too small to support schools of their its emphasis on funaional courses, will be avail­ own. The market will tell. able to those children whose talents lie in that Perhaps the tuition grants under the Virginia direction. Parents, with money in pocket, will plan will not be sufficient to meet all the shop around for the kind of education they costs of private school operation, and parents deem best or for which their children show will have to dig down for the difference. Those an aptitude. who have the means will not object to that; All sorts of schools, within the limits set up even after paying public school taxes many by the authorities, will cater to the trade. Edu­ now send their children to private schools, cators, like merchants and manufacturers, will sometimes at considerable sacrifice, and enroll­ set up in business, either to supply a known ment at these schools is on the increase. But, the demand or to offer something "new" or "differ­ need of supplementing the tuition grants will ent." Teachers will heed the call of the market diminish as competition and increased demand place, not the dicta of a bureaucracy. Proficiency force costs down, even as has happened with will be rewarded; the better schools and the automobiles and television sets; the free market better teachers will become known by their has a way of adjusting price to effective demand. product and will reap the deserved harvest; In the. meantime, or un il the market place gets the others will fall by the wayside, according up a full head of steam, some parents may find co the law of competition. Yes, parents will the private school, even with the tuition grants, buy education even as they buy medical or legal beyond their means. Americans being what services or even groceries, and will of necessity they are, there will be plenty of scholarships become as keenly interested in the mental prog~ for children who show an aptitude for learning; ress of their children as they are in their health. the Virginia plan will thus arouse the virtue of charity, which tends to go to sleep when Incidentally, there may be schools in which government takes over its offices. the tenets of collectivism, even Marxism, are taught and preached. There can be no objection HERE IS NO socia.l ill, real or imaginary, to that, if the parents use the tuition grants, T that competition cannot cure. Right now which was ~eir own money in the first place, there is a great clamor from professional educa­ to support such schools. Much of the criticism tors for Federal aid to education. It is asserted now levelled at the public school is that such that there is a great and increasing shortage of subjects have seeped into the curriculum and classroom space, and that states and local com~ chat children, having no avenue of escape under munities are in no position to make up the the law, must submit to the indoctrination. In deficiency. The money for construction must point of fact, it is compulsory support of, and come from the Federal government, they insist, compulsory attendance at schools, in which col­ ignoring the fact that the Federal government lectivism is furthered, that is irritating; no one has no other source of income than the taxes would bother if the compulsion were removed. it levies on citizens of those states a.o.d C