EDUCATION REPORT - School Vouchers

EDUCATION REPORT
–
July 11, 2002: School Vouchers²

By Jerilyn Watson

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

The United States Supreme³ Court has made an important decision about American education. Last month, the
court ruled that poor parents can receive public money to send their children to private schools. These include
religious schools.

Under this voucher¹ program, the government helps parents send their children to schools that require payment.
American public schools are free.

President Bush called the Supreme Court decision a great victory for American students and parents. He says it
provides children from poor families an equal chance for a good education.

The American Constitution requires the separation of church and state.

Five of the nine Supreme Court judges ruled that an educational voucher program in Cleveland, Ohio, is
constitutional. The majority decision said vouchers are acceptable⁴ because parents choose which school their
child will attend. The government does not. The government provides only financial aid.

Parents in the Cleveland voucher program can receive up to about two-thousand dollars. Critics say this means
that most families choose religious schools because they cost less than other private schools. Almost all of the
children in the Cleveland voucher program attend religious schools.

The Ohio legislature enacted⁵ the voucher program in Cleveland after a federal court placed the city’s schools
under state control. The court did so because the schools were not providing students with a good
education.Supporters of school vouchers say the public school system is not helping⁶ millions of minority children
in big cities. Many parents whose children attend poor quality schools support vouchers.

However, public school teachers and others oppose the voucher system. They say it is wrong to take needed
government money from public schools. They believe public schools should be supported and improved.

Several other American cities have voucher programs. However, at least twenty-six state legislatures have
rejected proposals for voucher programs. Voters in several states also have rejected the use of school vouchers.
And recent opinion studies show that a majority of Americans approve of the nation’s public schools.

This VOA Special English Education Report was written by Jerilyn Watson.

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1 voucher   

n.收据；传票；凭单，凭证

参考例句：

• The government should run a voucher system.政府应该施行凭证制度。
• Whenever cash is paid out,a voucher or receipt should be obtained.无论何时只要支付现金，就必须要有一张凭据或者收据。

2 vouchers   

n.凭证( voucher的名词复数 )；证人；证件；收据

参考例句：

• These vouchers are redeemable against any future purchase. 这些优惠券将来购物均可使用。
• This time we were given free vouchers to spend the night in a nearby hotel. 这一次我们得到了在附近一家旅馆入住的免费券。 来自英语晨读30分（高二）

3 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

4 acceptable   

adj.可接受的，合意的，受欢迎的

参考例句：

• The terms of the contract are acceptable to us.我们认为这个合同的条件可以接受。
• Air pollution in the city had reached four times the acceptable levels.这座城市的空气污染程度曾高达可接受标准的四倍。

5 enacted   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• legislation enacted by parliament 由议会通过的法律
• Outside in the little lobby another scene was begin enacted. 外面的小休息室里又是另一番景象。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

6 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。