can someone tell me what "privatizing" healthcare and education mean?

Question

i am trying to learn more about capitalism and socialism, and i keep hearing that word.........

Answer 1

Right now in the US the government is in "control" of education. To "privatize" it would mean to turn it over to private industry...to allow it to become a business. It would add the ability for the business of education to be competitive because the school would want people to send their children to it in order to get money for the child being there. It opens up those two sectors to turning into a competitive area where people try to earn your money instead of having it automatically given to them.

Answer 2

"Privatizing" is the transfer of ownership from the public sector (government) to the private sector (business). A transfer in the opposite direction could be referred to the nationalization or municipalization of some property or responsibility.

Public Educations is provided from Tax Collection from the public to equally give each citizen an education. This is good because it provides for ALL. It is bad because it stagnates achievement. Students with a natural talent for science, math, technology are given the same resources as the students who are talented in art, social sciences, and writing.

Privitizing would have individuals pay for education ... aka "Private School". This is good because it buys the best teachers and pair with the brightest students and allows higher acheivment and advancement in specific area's (science, math, technology). Instead of having class rooms with 75% dreading class, you create a class room with 100% wanting to be there and acheive the classes mission. The downside, is that some of the bright students may not be able to afford the "Private" education and may not "Win" schalarships to get them ... thus wasting talent. Not everyone aspires to be rocket scientists.

Same with "Health Care" ... do you want a health care system that accepts a standard level of care (Public health care) or do you want a health care system that allows competition to find new medicine and surgical techniques (private health care)??? Should the USA goto a "Public" healthcare ... then religion, morals, equality, and ethics will be battled out just like in education. Again, good and bad exchanges.

Answer 3

Government beaurocracies tend to be ineffecient, and the idea is that contracting for these services with private companies driven by profits but required to meet certain standards would be more cost effecient.

I think the biggest source of the conflict of ideas on this matter is that in these two fields especially, we like to think of the people doing the work as having some sort of "calling," if you will, motivated by the desire to contribute to society rather than make a living or profit.

There's truth in that, but there's also truth in the fact that for the most part we are a bunch of greedy bastards who want to prosper. So if you are in the mood to solve a big chunk of the nation's problems, find a logical balance between the two sides and we'll all be set.

Answer 4

schools, universities and hospitals become private businesses or non-profit organizations outside of state's control.

It works fine in US.

In education, students use family funds to pay, or take out loans, or enter on merit-based scholarship from government or private charity funds.

Hospital services are paid for by insurance, either private or government. Of course, those with money can get better insurance with more treatments available to them.

Privatizing also means competition, so both hospitals and universities keep improving their service to attract customers.

Whereas unuder government healthcare and education, they just try to meet the minimum quality standard.

Answer 5

It means that if your income is below a certain level then your health care, as well as your children's health care will suffer for it. If your income is below a certain level then your education and/or your children's education will be substandard as well
So ...with the privatization of education and health care you and your children will have to meet a certain level of income to afford the quality of health care, and education that will allow you live a comfortable life. A life that means you don't have to stand in line with a broken arm just to see the receptionist! A life that means your children do not have to share a donated fourth rate computer with forty other children rotating on a two day schedule in order to learn the basics of a computer.
It means your or your child would be immediately taken care of with the best medical attention if you live above that certain line of income. If you are below that line then you wait with your blood oozing, and your broken bones singing until an overworked medical doctor, and his/her staff can finally get to see you. It means that the school your child is in will have up to date educational equipment, and classed not exceeding twenty five.
This is what privatization means.
We have to get use to it. Because it is quickly becoming a reality here in North America.

Answer 6

it means not run by the government. run by the private sector instead.