Being a rich son (70% work for their father according to a linked study in the article) is essentially like being Tim Cook. It's a nice job that pays handsomely but who has the character to walk away and do what they really want to do? This links back to the beginning of my comment: do rich parents prepare their children for that move or do they try everything to lock their children into their heritage?
This is not an argument for standardized schooling. I am just wondering if being a rich kid actually comes with a huge price.
Those who send their children to private schools also pay taxes that pay for public schools. They just receive no education for their children from it (by choice). Pay the same in, take fewer resources out - that doesn't seem like a negative to me.
* To be just, parents should be free to provide for their own children.
* To be fair, every person should be given an equal opportunity to succeed.
These are fundamentally in opposition: every extra dollar a parent gives to their child is an unfair (in the sense that the child only earned by virtue of "choosing" that parent) benefit.
This was one of those moments that really turned on a lightbulb in my head when I think about how a society collectively raises each generation. I now think that a healthy society shouldn't "solve" this problem, they should just try to find the sweet spot that balances these two opposing forces.
And, interestingly, this is something that really affects me in a material way. My kids go to a public elementary school. My taxes fund schooling for all children in the area. The school also does donation drives and other things that let me opt in to giving money to benefit all children. But I also can choose to spend money on private classes, tutors, and other extra-curricular activities that only benefit my own children. So I have a very direct set of levers where I can choose my own particular moral position on this continuum.
Personally, my feeling is that we should mostly lean towards justice and equal opportunity. Most resources spent towards educating children should go in ways that benefit all kids. Fewer private schools, more public funding. My argument is that being a child of wealthy parents is already a tremendous ambient benefit. The child has a more comfortable, stable home environment, and fewer worries around material needs. They are more likely to get quality, prompt mental and physical healthcare. All of those give them a huge advantage compared to other kids.