Education Vouchers: An Administrative Challenge?

In discussions of the financing of elementary and secondary schools, the distinction between public finance and public provision of educational services is rarely drawn. Consequently, the assumption has hardened that they are reciprocal terms. This paper challenges this assumption to suggest that public finance is more appropriate than public provision of educational services. Further, it suggests that public finance for education can be effectively handled by education vouchers. An educationvoucher is a tax-financed coupon, specifying an amount based onb an annual cost per pupil for education which, distributed to all parents, entitles the child to a place in any approved school