Kentucky School Advocate
June 2019
The Court said the goal of a new system is to ensure its students become “sufficient” in these seven capacities:
1. Oral and written communication skills to enable students to function in a complex and rapidly changing civilization;
2. Knowledge of economic, social and political systems to enable them to make informed choices;
3. Understanding of governmental processes to enable the student to understand the issues that affect his or her community, state and nation;
4. Self-knowledge and knowledge of his or her mental and physical wellness;
5. Grounding in the arts to enable each student to appreciate his or her cultural and historical heritage;
6. Training or preparation for advanced training in either academic or vocational fields so as to enable each child to choose and pursue life work intelligently; and,
7. Academic or vocational skills to enable public school students to compete favorably with their counterparts in surrounding states, in academics or in the job market.
The Court also defined an efficient system of common schools.
The essential, and minimal, characteristics of an “efficient” system of common schools, may be summarized as follows:
1. The establishment, maintenance and funding of common schools in Kentucky is the sole responsibility of the General Assembly.
2. Common schools shall be free to all.
3. Common schools shall be available to all Kentucky children.
4. Common schools shall be substantially uniform throughout the state.
5. Common schools shall provide equal educational opportunities to all Kentucky children, regardless of place of residence or economic circumstances.
6. Common schools shall be monitored by the General Assembly to assure that they are operated with no waste, no duplication, no mismanagement, and with no political influence.
7. The premise for the existence of common schools is that all children in Kentucky have a constitutional right to an adequate education.
8. The General Assembly shall provide funding which is sufficient to provide each child in Kentucky an adequate education.
9. An adequate education is one which has as its goal the development of the seven capacities recited previously.
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