Covering the business of education and training

I have long thought that schools (primary and secondary as well) should be run like businesses. Just like the private sector, a school should have to have sound business practices, smart fiscal management and actually be able to produce results in order to stay viable and attract students.

Schools should have to compete just like businesses and the best schools will thrive, while those turning out an inferior product will "go out of business" just like in the real world. As you can imagine, I wouldn't be very popular in the teachers' lounge! :) ~Monica

The current Guv in Michigan stands for Education. Of course, it is an election year, so suddenly she stands for lower taxes and more business. Yes, schools fail to meet budgets here too. Although, the Cooley Law School in Lansing is just raking in the dough.

I live in a Canadian city in which the principal of every public school (K - 12) has to balance the budget every year. They are funded based on the number of students enrolled plus allowances for special needs kids etc. Parents can choose one school over another based on programs and performance. As a result there are a wide variety of special interest public schools (e.g. arts focus, foreign language focus, sports focus, pure academic focus etc.) in addition to the mainstream variety.
Some folks who have always lived here like to complain about the school system. However, people actually move to this city in order to send their children to our public schools!!
I think that this is hard to implement and maintain when if the system is too large. The solution is to make each university stand-alone and get rid of the useless layers at the top.

Agreed. College should not be allowed to run budget deficits. Unlike typical businesses, they offer the same product year in and year out, and the product line never changes. It is not like they can introduce a product (such as an iPod) and have the potential to reap huge financial windfalls. Their only saving grace is to raise tuition prices, which only works for a small period of time(something about students having choices). Strong financial leadership is imperative for academic institutions.~rick