As a younger man I was convinced that education--at least higher education--would be be far more successful were it handed over to the private sector so that universities could be run entirely as businesses. After all, what incentive does a bunch of tenured professors have to actually do their jobs? There is no doubt that the education system in the US, and in North America more generally, needs an overhaul. But I am less of a mind, now, to think that that overhaul should take the form of privatization. To be clear, I think universities would be far more successful were they run as businesses--imagine how efficient Apple would be if it were run by a government agency. The problem is that they would be far more successful businesses--which is to say, they would turn a profit, not necessarily turn out a better product--after all, Apple thinks a smaller version of the iPad (or a bigger version of the iPhone) is an innovation--if you think I'm full of shit, compare the iPad mini to what this MIT researcher is doing--and he's giving away the technology! There have been a slew of articles posted this evening about the new Council for the Defense of British Universities. The list of 65 founding members is truly impressive. But the names are beside the point. They make an important case against mercantilization based on the concern for the product--an educated citizen and true innovation in all fields. Their thoughts are worth a read.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/nov/11/andrew-motion-government-mercantile-universities?INTCMP=SRCH
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/nov/08/coalition-thinkers-fight-marketisation-universities
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=421722
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