Whether families who choose non-government schools should escape the taxes that fund universal education is deeply contentious. I strongly disagree, because education functions as a public good whose benefits reach far beyond individual families. Indeed, permitting families to opt out of education taxes would undermine equity and weaken the sustainability of public schools.

Moreover, the primary reason is that universal education generates collective gains that justify the shared taxes every family pays. For instance, an educated population supports the economy and social stability, regardless of which schools a given child attended. Furthermore, even families using private schools rely on publicly educated workers, so their taxes still return real value. Consequently, if taxation depended solely on personal use, similar exemptions could fragment the funding of many public institutions.

In addition, tax exemptions for these families would deepen inequality and dilute the accountability of schools. For example, higher-income parents are overrepresented in private schooling, so cutting their education taxes would burden poorer families. Indeed, universal education secures minimum standards, and government funding through broad taxes protects that guarantee for every child. Therefore, without shared taxes, disadvantaged regions and their schools would face widening gaps and declining outcomes.

In conclusion, families should contribute to education taxes irrespective of the schools their children attend. Moreover, shared funding reflects the wide social returns of universal education and promotes fairness across every community. Consequently, granting these families an exemption would erode solidarity and threaten the government schools that a just society needs.