Voucher schemes continue to grow around the world
The Education Forum
Subtext Newsletter
February 2007
Choice in education continues to grow with new voucher schemes being announced around the world.
Utah is the first state in the United States to offer universal choice in education; in the United Kingdom, the government is arranging 'e-credits' for schools to access extra lessons for an estimated 800,000 gifted pupils; and the Australian government hopes its new skills voucher programme will benefit 36,000 people each year.
Utah gets universal school choice
Utah is on track to offer the largest school voucher programme in the United States.
The "Parent Choice in Education Act" (House Bill 148) was signed off this month by Governor John Huntsman, Jr, who also signed the state's special needs voucher bill in 2005.
The legislation says every Utah parent with school-aged children gets a voucher worth $500 to $3,000 that can be used at any eligible private school, meaning every family in the state gets to have a choice in their child's education.
Children currently enrolled in private schools who meet the eligibility for free and reduced price lunches would also qualify for the voucher. The voucher amount would be based on a families' annual income.
Supporters see the scheme as the first-ever programme aiming for Nobel laureate economist Milton Friedman's vision for universal school choice.
E-credits for more gifted pupils in UK
The British government is arranging 'e-credits' for schools to access extra lessons for an estimated 800,000 gifted pupils.
The BBC reported the £65 million scheme is part of the government's drive to ensure all children in England with special talents are given extra help.
The e-credits system is to be run from next September by the not-for-profit CfBT Education Trust.
The trust said, in the BBC report, that each pupil would initially receive the equivalent of a number of credits - worth about £80 - which their schools could use to buy extra lessons from companies, independent schools, universities or learned bodies.
Development director Tim Emmett said to the BBC: "The government is seeing this as part of school improvement rather than a lifeboat for a few bright children."
The UK government now wants schools to identify the top 10 percent of pupils - amounting to about 800,000 nationally. It is up to each school to identify its gifted and talented pupils.
Voucher system to strengthen Australia's skills base
An Australian voucher scheme offering work and business skills training is on track to benefit more than 36,000 people a year, the Australian government says.
The Australian Skills Vouchers programme is a part of the $837 million Skills for the Future package.
The $3,000 work skills voucher will help eligible people with the cost of studying Year 12 or equivalent courses, or a vocational certificate level II qualification.
The $500 business skills voucher targets apprentices or newly qualified tradespersons in traditional trades as a contribution towards the costs of undertaking accredited business skills training.
The vouchers can be used at public, private or community training providers.
For more information, visit www.educationforum.org.nz
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