Education Commons^™

Is Schooling A Consumer Good? , Alexander M. Sidorkin

Faculty Publications

School choice theory rests on the assumption that K-12 education is a consumer good or service. The assumption is erroneous, because schooling is also a form of labor students perform for the benefit of society. Consequently, schools cannot benefit from competition the same way other industries do. However, public schooling's current monopoly is indefensible, and alternative ways of creating an educational market should be considered.