In other words, education is what we political scientists call a “public good.” Like clean air or water, or personal and national security, education is so basic to the well-being of a democratic society that everyone must receive its benefits. Also, having your parents decide whether you go to school until you reach a certain age (let's say 15) is way less of the slavery option than compulsory education. You can make an argument based on externalities, but that still doesn't make a good a public good. Â Obviously, not every investment pays off-but that is hardly to be expected. Higher Education and the Public Good By MURIEL A. HOWARD Create/Edit E-mail Alerts: Muriel A. Howard, Ph.D., is president of Buffalo State College, State University of New York. Education is a global public good and partnerships are the name of the game to ensure that all people and countries reap its benefits, said UNESCO Director -General during a plenary panel with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Martin Sorrell, CEO of the WPP advertising agency, in the context of the Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai on March 13, 2016. By Sara Hebel. But everyone must also share in its costs. From Public Good to Private Good How Higher Education Got to a Tipping Point . Public Goods and Education Jonathan Anomaly Philosophy and Public Policy edited by Andrew I. Cohen Rowman and Littlefield Publishing 2018 Education can be a private good or a public good. In economics, a public good ... Law enforcement, streets, libraries, museums, and education are commonly misclassified as public goods, but they are technically classified in economic terms as quasi-public goods because excludability is possible, but they do still fit some of the characteristics of public goods. Additional examples of public goods that are subject to congestion are a bridge, a public swimming pool, and an airport. March 2, 2014 A mericans are losing the will to pay for their public colleges. Looked at in purely “practical” terms, higher education certainly repays the public good for the investment made in this area. The fact that one person’s education can have spillover effects on other people is often taken to be an argument for government intervention in the market for education. Jails aren't a public good either. And these public goods are also all subject to congestion when too many people use them, so that the quality of the good may be affected by adding more users. Faculty Resources • Teaching With The Times • Curriculum Guides • Monograph: Using National Newspapers in the College Classroom • Presidential Perspectives • Feedback.