Education most definately should not be about choice.

But if we are going to have a voucher system (or any other sort of partially tax funded system providing "choice" in education), then I want my infrastructure, defense force, police, judicial system,and hospital vouchers as well.

I personally am not keen on spending my "choice" on Police or Defense as they stand, so I might just buy a personal bodyguard and leave everyone else to fend as they can.

Since I don't drive, I really don't see the need to spend my infrastrucure voucher on various tollways, but I will spend a bit on trains, and the balance on getting a killer push bike. Definitely none to be wasted on rural phone services that are useless to me.

I might just pocket as much of the judicial voucher as I can, or give it to a "registered justice provider" who is willing to provide that "personal" justice touch I deserve (clothing optional...).

As I'm pretty healthy, maybe my health voucher can be spent on day spas and beauty treatments (I need a fair few of those...).

As to education, my voucher can be spent on the school that is most willing to keep my kids out of my hair. That is a voucher well spent.

If I can get even more absurd, I might want to trade the voucher system for these new fangled vouchers called "dollars", and the government can give everyone the same amount, and we can let choice and market forces determine what institutions we promote.

That 50 inch plasma screen education device sitting on my entertainment unit sure looks like a good investment in the future to me.

Or perhaps we could allow education to be about ensuring all children are well educated, regardless of the "choices" of parents, lobby groups and newspaper editors. Sure, that makes these children more productive and is theoretically a step towards egalitarianism, but on the plus side it does help us indoctrinate them in our treasured judeo-christian, middle class Aussie values.