Nearly half of adults in the U.S. (51%) believe that the public K-12 education system is heading in the wrong direction, according to a November 2023 survey by the Pew Research Center.

Only 16% feel it is moving in the right direction, while 32% are unsure. A significant portion of those who think it is going wrong say schools don’t dedicate enough time to core subjects.

These findings are part of a broader discussion about educational content, concerns about budget cuts, and worries about students lagging academically.

Bipartisan Thoughts on Public K-12 Education

Republicans are more inclined than Democrats to express dissatisfaction with the public K-12 system. Sixty-five percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents stated it is on the wrong track compared to 40% of Democrats and Democratic leaners. Conversely, 23% of Democrats and 10% of Republicans believe it is headed in the right direction.

Within the Republican camp, conservatives are particularly critical, with 75% indicating the system is off course, versus 52% of moderate or liberal Republicans. However, there aren’t significant differences among Democrats based on ideology.

Both K-12 parents and non-parent adults share similar views that the system is moving in the wrong direction.

Read More at: Pew Research Center