By Esther Wickham | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – A majority of parents say it is important for high school students to learn civil debate skills, according to a new survey from EdChoice.
The survey examined public opinion on several education-related issues, including school choice policies, technology use in K-12 education and the teaching of “durable skills,” such as communication, critical thinking and teamwork.
It found 53% of Americans and 65% of school parents consider it very important for high school students to be taught civil debate and discourse skills.
Respondents were most supportive of integrating debate skills into core subjects like math, English, and science, while only about one in five Americans and school parents favored making debate a required stand-alone course for graduation.
Nearly 60% of parents rated their child’s school as excellent or very good at teaching durable skills. When asked who should be responsible for teaching these skills, most parents said it should be a shared effort between schools and families, while 18% believed schools should take the lead.
Durable skills also play a role in school choice decisions. About 45% of parents said the emphasis a school places on these skills would significantly influence their enrollment decisions, and more than 80% said it is very important for schools to prioritize them.
The survey also found strong parental support for several education policies. Two-thirds of parents, 63%, said their child should be allowed to have a cellphone at school, though only about one-third supported phone use in the classroom.
The movement to ban the technology from classrooms has gained bipartisan popularity among several state lawmakers. Around 76% of U.S. public schools have implemented some sort of ban.
Seventy-three percent of parents supported education savings accounts, while 10% opposed them.
Support was also high for 529 plans, which are tax-advantaged accounts for education expenses. Nearly 80% of school parents supported using 529 plans for K-12 education, and 44% said they are extremely or very likely to contribute to one.
EdChoice, along with Morning Consult, surveyed nationally representative samples of 2,250 adults and 1,300 school parents each month from August through November.
“Esther is an education reporter for The Center Square. Please email her at ewickham@thecentersquare.com for tips or questions.”