.............................................................................................................................. v Acknowledgments.............................................................................................................. vi

OF THESIS Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of

We critically examine the accepted notion that primary education is a legitimate and necessary function of the state. The notion is based upon three tenets: 1) public education is a necessary condition for democracy, 2) the market will not provide equal access and quality of education to all, and 3) education represents an external economy. Each tenet is addressed and evaluated according to its...