Public Education Defined

In the post below this, Bill Danielson, ontheborderline.net's master spin doctor, has chosen to confusion the debate on public education by introducing a hybred definetion that has grown out of the libertarian philosophy.

To help us keep with the conventional understanding of the definetion of "public education," I've included an overview of the meaning and a few helpful links.

Defined (from Reference.com): Public education is schooling provided by the government, and paid for by taxes. Public education emerged in the early 19th century as a tool of industrialization and still uses mass production techniques to achieve its ends. Proponents of public education assert it to be necessary because of the need in modern society for people who are capable of reading, writing, and doing basic mathematics. However, some libertarians argue that education is best left to the private sector; in addition, advocates of alternative forms of education such as unschooling argue that these same skills can be achieved without subjecting children to state-run compulsory schooling. In most industrialized countries, these views are distinctly in the minority.

Read more:
Reference.com: Overview of Education
US History of Public Education
Education in the US