According to Milton Friedman, an economist of three decades ago, public schools had few incentives to improve because they were a government-run monopoly. If the governments gave vouchers to the parents to choose their own school, schools would then have to compete to attract students and resources, thus leading to overall educational improvement (Good 90). This theory is widely accepted by many intellectuals and politicians. Most poor parents are afraid to get involve with their children's education because they don't know so much either. Vouchers are also very effective because they are encouraging parents, especially poor ones to have greater interest in their children's schooling and better understanding of their children's capacities and needs.
The most major reason why vouchers are important is because it targeted children, who come from the neediest family. As of now, low-income families don't have a choice. They cannot afford to pay the high costs of private education and are forced to attend public education. Of course, public education isn't the way it used to be. The children are graduating a class that is dumber than the previous, and the hope for a better education for their children seems hopeless. However, through the voucher program, there is still a light of hope. According to research, only three public voucher programs exist, and they are all authorized by state legislatures (Schneider 186). These programs targeted low-income students and children in low-performing schools, which tend to be children who are in low-income areas. These children who are selected will be able to attend private or parochial schools at public expense. Through these programs, poor children finally have a chance at better education, as well as their children's future.
Although with so much positive impacts, vouchers are still opposed by politicians and intellectuals upon five main reasons.
