What are education vouchers primarily used for?

Education vouchers are primarily used to give students the ability to attend any school of their choice, which promotes school choice and competition. Vouchers enable parents to use public funding allocated for their child's education to pay for tuition at a private or alternative school instead of the assigned public school. This mechanism aims to provide families, especially those in underperforming school districts, with more options and the potential to find a school that better meets their child's educational needs.

This concept is rooted in the belief that increased competition can lead to improvements in both public and private school performance, as schools strive to attract students and their related funding. The design of vouchers seeks to empower parents and students by allowing them to select educational environments that they feel will best serve their learning aspirations, rather than being limited to their local public school assignments.