One of the great problems with the Washington State Constitution is in Article IX which deals with education. Recall that around the time of the turn of the 19th to the 20th centuries, progressivism/socialism was all the rage. People in government believed that the State should hire experts to deal with all the problems of society. These experts would know more about specific areas than the general public and could propose measures that would lead to a utopian society based on their narrow but specific knowledge that would override the wishes of the ignorant people.

We are left with the residue of those fantasies in Article IX where the WA Constitution says:

SECTION 1 PREAMBLE. It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders, without distinction or preference on account of race, color, caste, or sex.

SECTION 2 PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. The legislature shall provide for a general and uniform system of public schools. The public school system shall include common schools, and such high schools, normal schools, and technical schools as may hereafter be established. But the entire revenue derived from the common school fund and the state tax for common schools shall be exclusively applied to the support of the common schools.

In essence, the Constitution provides for an education entitlement program for everyone in the State. Without going into the intellectual disaster that such a program could and does create (politicians, unions and bureaucrats dictating a uniform educational policy), the financial burdens of such a system, given the current depression, are now causing us great economic troubles. Tuition is being raised geometrically, bureaucrats are making tons of money and the system is rapidly becoming financially inaccessible to many students.

The reaction to this situation, here and in other states, is classic. The selfish young people, who believe they are entitled to an education provided by other people’s money, are much more concerned that they receive their free, compulsory gift, than they are about the people who are forced to provide that gift for them. Not surprising, especially given the educational system’s emphasis on the importance of feeling good about yourself. Now, oh my, what are we gonna do? Who’s gonna provide me with my "right" to an education? I don’t really care, as long as it’s someone else.

Education is too expensive, partly because of cheap loans and subsidies. The public schools, especially the colleges and universities, have no incentive to cut costs. The feds will solve all their problems by handing out more money. Also, much of college education is useless and pointless. Sure, employers look for a degree in the hope that it might mean something, but, for the most part, people would be better off learning a job or a trade rather than studying fraternity parties and beer drinking for 4 years. Jefferson’s idea was that a person would decide what he wanted to learn, go to a place where he could learn it and then leave. No degrees, no other meaningless nonsense.

The progressive educational ideas have failed, though you wouldn’t know that if you read the newspapers or watch TV. We need to get the State out of the education business and free up the many billions of dollars that parents and students could use to decide upon their own education. We need to end the entitlement mentality across the board, not just in education and, along with it, the inane, anti-competitive practice of State licensure for nearly all occupations.

A return to economic freedom is in order. But, I know, fat chance. The Fed will simply print more money and the government will hand out more welfare until the system finally collapses. The students need to quit whining and learn how to be real productive members of society and not perpetual drags on everyone else’s freedom.