Can you elaborate on this? What problem is it meant to fix?

I think the student making the comment was probably from the entitlement group.  He says the government should pay for five years...  I liked your comment about parents having jobs. that should have settled it right there.

My kids went to public schools, too.  They also heard lots of inane comments from students and from teachers.  There were two main things that they learned.  How to think for themselves and how to get along with people that they do not like. 

Sounds like you are on the right track.

Did you know that the US and Switzerland both spend about $11K per student per year?  I think that the problem is the educrats and that we should give the parents more say in how that money is spent.  Do you think your folks would pay $11K for something that did not work?  Problem is that the schools are not accountable to the parents or anyone else for the educations that they turn out.

Well, vouchers work for me.  Of course, I am also for people solving their own problems.  Vouchers lets you vote with your feet, so to speak.

You're not necessarily getting better teachers or better books.  A pretty building does not an educated citizen make.  For years I've seen politicians throw money at problems and hope that they would go away.  That's kind of like putting fertilizer on weeds.  they just grow bigger and stronger. 

There are some problems with education and they do need to be fixed.  Building a bigger bureaucracy is not the solution.

Firstly, many schools experience problems because of a lack of sufficient funding, so money is very much an issue. In addition to this, providing schools with better resources and programs helps to motivate students.

Bureaucracy is not the problem. A citizenry that is fearful of government is.

No it shouldn't: the comment was stupid. Not everyone can just get a job - only when there are exactly enough jobs for everyone, which isn't always the case.

Wiglaf:  It ain't a myth but I am glad you are entertained.  I am not saying that government is automatically bad or does a poor job on everything.  I am saying that government is not the solution to most of our problems.  Come on, who knows better how to take care of you; you or some bureaucrat in the capital?  Besides if the government is so good a fixing problems why are they giving us cash to help jolt the economy instead of simply not borrowing more money to give to us in the first place?  (OK, not school specific but it does demonstrate the principal.)  Teachers are highly trained professionals and should be paid well' the problem is that they don't get the money in their paychecks or classrooms.  That's what I see when I volunteer in the classroom.  I cannot see throwing money away in things like bilingual education, ADA facilities that no one will use, or limiting volunteers in classrooms to protect union jobs.  I have seen kids educated in Spanish and after graduating not being able to find any job except the bottom of the barrel, ADA requirements tripling the cost of construction projects when there were no disabled students in the school and, mothers of students being told that they could not volunteer in the classroom because of union jobs.  So I don't have much respect for educrats or their policies.

Gommi:  How much should we pay to get the schools that you say we need?  Are you sure that $11K per student/year won't do the job?

IamMe:  Now, I am an American and I cannot speak to things in Ireland.  However, I have had many jobs in my life and I could always find work when I wanted it.  Not the best job or the best paying job but it was work.  Once, I had to take a job for 30% less pay.  Most recently I lost a job in September and had a new one by November.  Same skill level and salary.  Conditions do not have to be perfect for people to earn a living.  Its tough, that's why its called work. 

Micfrank:  You're learning how to figure this stuff out for yourself.  Good on you.  In the end that is the only thing that works, anyway.  You started a great discussion with a simple question.  Keep it up.