A Stitch in Haste

The Bush Administration is preparing to relax restrictions on single-gender classes.

Under the change taking effect Nov. 24, local school leaders will have discretion to create same-sex classes for subjects such as math, a grade level or even an entire school.

"Some students may learn better in single-sex education environments," said Education Secretary Margaret Spellings. "These final regulations permit communities to establish single-sex schools and classes as another means of meeting the needs of students."

Which invites the question: why did the federal government restrict single-gender classrooms in the first place? Why is the federal government micro-managing education at all?

"To prevent gender discrimination" is not an answer. If and when there is a demonstrated gender-based inequality in a particular school, then that particular instance can be addressed — in the courts, if necessary. Anti-discrimination laws should not be imposing pre-emptive "one size fits all" policies out of a fear of potential inequities, especially in an area such as a elementary and secondary education that has historically been administered at the state and local level. "Pre-penalizing" schools for discrimination that isn't happening is akin to "pre-fining" whites for racial discrimination that they have not yet committed.

And it bears repeating: In twenty years the Republican Party has gone from calling for the abolition of the Department of Education to No Child Left Behind. Libertarians should naturally default to the GOP — why?