	Libertarian Party on Education Party Platform

School Choice
Other issues under Education

Make college affordable by ending subsidies and mandates

[President Obama in his State of the Union speech] proposes pouring more taxpayer dollars into another federal education program, this time for community colleges. But federal intervention has driven up the price of higher education.

What if we could make college affordable right now by simply getting government out of higher ed? Without subsidies and costly mandates, competition will force colleges to decrease their tuition or go out of business. Massive student debt would be a thing of the past.

Mr. President, we can have world-class education. The first step is defunding and eliminating the federal Department of Education, abolishing Common Core, and allowing parents to take full control over their children's education. Free-market competition will raise educational standards, lower costs, and prepare students to compete in a global economy.

Source: 2015 State of the Union Libertarian Party response , Jan 20, 2015

Cut back Common Core and the Department of Education

The Libertarian Party suggests not just stopping Obama's proposed new programs, but rolling back old ones that most Americans don't consider might be hurting more than helping. Party vice-chair Arvin Vohra suggests, for example, that rather than further subsidizing community colleges, Obama could do more for both educational affordability and quality by cutting back existing federal interventions and contributions to education, all the way down to Common Core and the Department of Education Source: Reason Mag.: Libertarian response to 2015 State of the Union , Jan 20, 2015

Let parents control all educational funding

Education is best provided by the free market, achieving greater quality and efficiency with more diversity of choice. Schools should be managed locally to achieve greater accountability and parental involvement. Recognizing that the education of children is inextricably linked to moral values, we would return authority to parents to determine the education of their children, without interference from government. Parents should have control of all funds expended for their children’s education. Source: National platform adopted at Denver L.P. convention , May 30, 2008

Poor kids end up at worst schools in current system

Poor children suffer the most under the current education system. Wealthy parents can afford to send their children to better or safer schools. Poor parents have no choice. Their children generally end up in the schools with the worst problems. These children end up at a public school, which is obligated to accept every local student, even those who are not interested in learning or who have a reputation for being disruptive or dangerous. The current system traps poor children in poor schools. Source: The Libertarian Party’s Legislative Program , Nov 7, 2000

Separation of education and State

We advocate the complete separation of education and State. Government schools lead to the indoctrination of children and interfere with the free choice of individuals. Government ownership, operation, regulation, and subsidy of schools and colleges should be ended. We call for the repeal of the guarantees of tax-funded, government-provided education, which are found in most state constitutions. Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party , Jul 2, 2000

End compulsory busing & compulsory education

We condemn compulsory education laws, which spawn prison-like schools with many of the problems associated with prisons, and we call for an immediate repeal of such laws.

Until government involvement in education is ended, we support elimination, within the governmental school system, of forced busing and corporal punishment. We further support immediate reduction of tax support for schools, and removal of the burden of school taxes from those not responsible for the education of children.

Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party , Jul 2, 2000

Government schools lead to the indoctrination of children

We advocate the complete separation of education and State. Government schools lead to the indoctrination of children and interfere with the free choice of individuals. Government ownership, operation, regulation, and subsidy of schools and colleges should be ended.
We condemn compulsory education laws and we call for the immediate repeal of such laws.

Source: Excerpts from 1980 Clark/Koch Libertarian Party platform , Nov 1, 1980

Libertarian Party on School Choice

Support a market in education to provide more choices

Support a true market in education -- one in which parents and students would not be stuck with a bad local school, because they could choose another.
Implement measures such as tax credits so that parents will have the financial ability to choose among schools.
Provide financial incentives for businesses to help fund schools and for individuals to support students other than their own children.
Eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, which spends billions on education and educates no one. The growth of this agency and its numerous regulations is a major reason for runaway costs in American schools.

Source: The Libertarian Party’s Legislative Program , Nov 7, 2000

The state should stay out of education

We advocate the complete separation of education and State. We oppose denial of tax-exempt status to schools because of those schools’ private policies. We support the repeal of all taxes on the income or property of private schools, whether for profit or non-profit. We condemn compulsory education laws. We further support immediate reduction of tax support for schools, and removal of the burden of school taxes from those not responsible for the education of children. Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party , Jul 2, 2000

Treat private school funding the same as public schools

As an interim measure to encourage the growth of private schools and variety in education, including home schooling, we support tax credits for tuition and other expenditures related to an individual’s education. We likewise favor tax credits for child care and oppose nationalization of the child-care industry. We oppose denial of tax-exempt status to schools because of those schools’ private policies on hiring, admissions, and student deportment. Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party , Jul 2, 2000

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Page last updated: Feb 24, 2022

Libertarian Party on Education

Party Platform