Moet een liberale overheid bijzondere scholen bekostigen?

Abstract

Almost everyone agrees that in a liberal democratic society the state should subsidize schools for compulsory education. The main reason is that compulsory education is a public and primary good that benefits both the individual and society. Also, many agree that public schools should be financed by the state. But whether denominational schools should receive subsidies from the state is hotly disputed. In the Netherlands and Belgium it can be said that denominational schools have a unique position because they are, just like public schools, fully funded by the state. Recently, however, this privileged position is more and more being questioned. Why should a liberal state contribute financially to schools that promote a specific religion or conception of the good? Doesn't this policy compromise the separation of church and state? And is it compatible with the liberal principle of state neutrality? In this article we describe three different views on the relation between liberal neutrality, primary goods, and the subsidization of denominational schools.