On Private Education

Education is a good.  Like any good, demand for it stimulates supply.

Sumer

In ancient Sumer, where writing was first invented, being a scribe was a high-paying and prestigious job.  This was largely because

 

1. demand for scribes was high, since their services (especially record-keeping) were of such benefit to the sate, and
2. the engorged super-states of Sumer had tremendous purchasing power.  

 

So in Sumer, a demand arose among parents for scribe-training services for their children.  The first private schools in the world arose in Sumer (tuition-supported "tablet-houses") to meet this demand.

To be continued...