Examining Children's Interests in Light of Parent -Centered Trends in Education

Abstract

The primary focus of this paper is to examine parent-centered educational trends from a "child's best interests" perspective. In my analysis I consider parent and state interests insofar as they factor into the interests of children; I also consider ways in which children's interests may be distinctly different from parent or state. The key question I examine is whether the trend toward parent-centeredness is generally in children's best interests. Whether we should proceed with confidence or caution in the direction of current schooling trends depends on the answer to this question. Ultimately, questions about the proper distribution of authority to make educational decisions are at the heart of this study.