Voucher, in education, is a certificate that a family can use to pay for a child’s schooling. Under a voucher plan or voucher system, a government or organization provides a family with a voucher worth a fixed amount of money to be spent on the education of each child. Families may then use the funds for education at a school that accepts vouchers and that will admit their child. The voucher system usually applies to children’s education at the elementary school level. But in some cases, it may also apply to high school students. Vouchers usually take the form of checks made out to parents. The checks must be endorsed over to the schools. Some governments provide a type of voucher in the form of tax credits for parents who have paid tuition for a child’s education.
A number of countries use voucher plans, or similar arrangements, in their primary and secondary school systems. In some countries—including Chile, the Netherlands, and Sweden—school funding provided by the government can be used at public or private institutions.
The American economist Milton Friedman began writing in favor of a school voucher system in the United States in the 1950’s. Vouchers have been the subject of much debate since the 1980’s. Supporters of vouchers believe that families should be able to choose from among several options when deciding where to send their children to school. They also argue that voucher systems increase competition among schools, which leads to improved instruction. Opponents of voucher plans argue that the programs mainly benefit families that have the resources to learn about school options and to send their children outside local neighborhoods. They also argue that voucher programs may weaken public education and increase segregation. In addition, many people feel that public funds should not be used to fund education offered by religious groups, which operate many private schools.
Because of the controversy surrounding voucher systems, their use in the United States has been limited. The states of Indiana and Louisiana and some cities, including Milwaukee and Cleveland, have issued publicly funded vouchers for low-income children to attend private schools. A number of private foundations have also provided vouchers to children in the United States.
See also Education (Who should choose a child’s school?) .
