Isn't it rather pathetic that a majority (56 percent) of 8th grade Hawaii students have "below basic" knowledge of Science? Mathematics and Reading are only slightly better, with more than 40 percent of Hawaii students in the "below basic" knowledge category in those subjects.

These are abysmal results, and one wonders who is at fault. Hawaii consistently ranks in the lowest five states in the nation for the quality of education. How can this be when the government in 2002-2003 was spending $1,489,092,000 on education? Where does this money come from? Why from the taxpayers, of course! The National Education Association, or NEA, conducted a study of the individual states and found that with a 2 percent increase in government spending on education, the results of the increased consumption tax would decrease the number of jobs in Hawaii by at least 500.

The NEA concluded that:

Tax revenues are simply being taken out of the economy and not being respent. As would be expected, an increase in taxes affects jobs negatively in all states and in all years. This negative effect on jobs increases over time, as businesses and individuals continue to make location decisions favoring areas offering greater opportunities.

The people being affected by such a poor education system and decreased number of jobs are primarily those with lower incomes. Also, those who can afford to send their children to private schools still have to help pay for the miserable public school system as well, even when they aren't using it. Is that fair? I don't think so.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, at least 15 percent of the students in Hawaii attend private schools; which is one of the highest proportions in the nation. This is no wonder considering how poor the government school system is on the islands.

The government spent an average of $8,100 per student in 2002-2003 (most likely that amount has grown in recent years). That is sufficient for tuition in quite a few private schools in Hawaii. For example, according to a recent article on private school tuition costs in the Star Bulletin, $8,100 could cover the tuition for Sacred Hearts and Damien. Undoubtedly the quality of education in those schools are much higher than in government institutions.

Wouldn't it be best for people to keep that money that the government spends for them and choose their own schools? If the government still wanted to make sure that education was compulsory for all minors then they could return the money to the rightful owners in the form of vouchers. These vouchers would go towards tuition for private schools, and then the government would no longer need to waste money on its failing school system.

The voucher system would help the education of Hawaii's students tremendously. One article in the Hawaii Reporter talks about the possibility of the voucher system:

Eight studies on the benefits of these choice initiatives find significant academic benefits for students using the programs to attend private schools… Charter schools in Hawaii are saving taxpayers about $34 million per year in per pupil costs, because the state funds charter students at only half of traditional public school students. Miraculously, charter school students still outperform traditional public school students, despite operating on a shoestring budget.

Hawaii’s charter school success only hints at the heights to which student achievement could soar if a wide range of choices were available to parents -- including public, private and home schooling -- through tax-credits, vouchers and scholarships.

Milton Friedman was a highly revered economist and a Nobel Prize winner for economics. He was wise in his advice about moving away from government schools to private schools. A voucher system is one way to achieve that, but definitely not the only way. If the government really wants to help the children of Hawaii, then that is the best first step.

Kenli Schoolland is a student at Punahou School. A member of the National Honors Society, she was the 1st place winner of the 2005 Trimble Liberty Essay Contest.