Now it is a well known fact that parents pay about $400 or was it $800 per year per student.

Would it just be cheaper on the parent to lower taxes and have private edcation and thus a better type of education that has enough resources?

I am pro this.

the current system doesn't seem to be working and students aren't getting the grades, are dropping out, teachers are over worked and under paid. Under a private system this wouldn't be the case.

you cannot just decide the changed the entire system just because it has developed some kinks. The current problems can be fixed faster and easier with some legislations and investigations, and of course, some decent funding from that fat ass surplus.

Giving education over to the private sector would drive the cost up even more since its now a business and the goal in any business is to maximise the profit. Only the rich would be able to afford quality education, all the best teachers would be drawn to a handful of schools, and the rest will have to settle for half-baked teaching and probably still be short on resources. This elitist approach is not health for any country.

I thought I'd broach the topic and also couldn't think of another name. It just seems to me that lots of parents pay a lot for their kids education and they get a poor one at this point in time, that is why I think it should be privately funded or mixed education.

we do have private school, and they are VERY expensive, and they still get beaten by public schools in terms of academic achievement regularly.

you don't suppose the govt has got something planned for that surplus do u? They are upgrading the iroquoise helicopters, and the maintenance cost for the LAVs are expected to rise, but they would still have a lot sitting around...