The article advocates for educational freedom, arguing that rigid public school models fail to meet the diverse needs of modern families. It highlights alternative learning centers, such as Tranquil Teachings, which offer highly flexible, personalized curricula that integrate academics, arts, agriculture, and civic education. This model emphasizes community building and holistic development, prioritizing parental choice over standardized mandates. For policy, the findings suggest a strategic shift toward expanding school choice and protecting decentralized, community-driven educational environments, rather than relying on centralized, standardized state systems.
New Cato Study Debunks Decades of Conventional Wisdom on State Funding and Rising Tuition
English Summary
The Cato Institute study refutes the long-held assumption that rising college tuition is a necessary response to state disinvestment in higher education. Analysis of 1980–2025 data shows that, contrary to belief, states have actually increased funding per student over the past decades. Crucially, the report finds a very weak correlation between changes in state funding and subsequent increases in tuition revenue, debunking the notion that tuition rises to offset perceived cuts. Policymakers should note that attempts by states to significantly boost funding merely to lower tuition are economically inefficient, as the return on investment is negligible.
中文摘要
凱托學會（Cato Institute）的研究反駁了長期以來普遍的假設，即大學學費的上升是州政府削減高等教育投資所必須採取的應對措施。根據 1980 年至 2025 年的數據分析顯示，與普遍認知相反，各州在過去幾十年中每位學生獲得的資金實際上有所增加。更重要的是，該報告發現州政府資金變動與學費收入增長之間存在極為微弱的相關性，駁斥了「學費上漲以彌補感知到的削減」這一觀念。政策制定者應注意，如果各州試圖大幅增加資金投入僅為降低學費，從經濟角度來看是低效的，因為其投資回報率可忽略不計。
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