In his book Capitalism and Freedom, Milton Friedman offers a response to the concerns expressed by Martha Nussbaum. In his opinion, decreased governmental intervention into the work of schools and colleges can improve the system of education and make it less standardized (Friedman 78). This approach can make schools compete with one another. In turn, the competition will be one of the factors that can improve the quality of education. Moreover, the increased competition can make school administrators more responsive to the suggestions and critique of parents who pay for the education of their children. According to Friedman, the task of the government is just to make sure that these educational organizations can reach the minimum standards (Friedman 78). Nevertheless, governmental agencies should not control every initiative taken by schools. This excessive monitoring can only stifle the creativity of students. Furthermore, teachers can be deprived of the opportunity to apply innovative instructional methods. Overall, the solution proposed by this scholar is based on the premise that the growing standardization of education can be attributed primarily to governmental control. More importantly, the increased participation of private stakeholders can make education more diverse in terms of content and techniques used by teachers. These are the main elements that can be distinguished.
Works Cited
Bérubé, Michael. Rhetorical Occasions: Essays on Humans and the Humanities, Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2006. Print.
Edmundson, Mark. On the Uses of a Liberal Education, New York: Harper, 1997. Print.
Friedman, Milton. Capitalism and Freedom, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1982. Print.