Abstract:
It is generally believed that government-run schooling is necessary to achieve social cohesion; diverse children must learn common values, a common culture, and have contact with members of different groups to render society cohesive; and only government-controlled schooling can guarantee that. But appreciable anecdotal and historical evidence belies this, suggesting that putting diverse people in one schooling system may create more net division than cohesion. This research looks at the question empirically, assessing education governance in numerous nations and determining its effect on generalized trust. It finds no significant direct effects of education structure on trust, but significant indirect effects.
