[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 117 (Wednesday, July 19, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1462-E1463]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                       ATTITUDES TOWARD EDUCATION

                                 ______


                          HON. LEE H. HAMILTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 19, 1995
  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I would like to insert my Washington 
Report for Wednesday, July 12, 1995 into the Congressional Record.
                   Hoosier Attitudes Toward Education

       One of the more interesting questions to ask Hoosiers is 
     what they expect from the public schools. My general 
     impression is that Hoosiers have a favorable opinion of 
     public education in their own community, but they have many 
     opinions about improving the quality of education.
       Teaching the basics: Hoosier parents strongly support 
     effective teaching of the basics. They want their children to 
     master the essential skills of the ability to read and write 
     English, to do arithmetic, and to have a good basic 
     understanding of science, history and geography.
       I find that Hoosiers generally give their local elementary 
     and secondary schools high marks and think very well of the 
     teachers, principals, programs and overall effort. Most 
     parents believe that their children are well prepared for 
     work and higher education.
       Employers and college educators do not always agree. They 
     frequently find missing the discipline and dedication to 
     learning, and proficiency in the basic literary and 
     computational skills. They also want to see more emphasis on 
     standards of behavior, such as how to speak and dress 
     properly, and how to be punctual.
       I am always impressed by how traditional Hoosiers are in 
     their approach to education. Adults seem to think they got a 
     better education in the basics than children are getting 
     today. They certainly want to see academic standards raised 
     and they believe that schools should hold students 
     accountable for doing their best.
       I also find among Hoosiers some discomfort with the new 
     teaching methods that educators often espouse, such as the 
     teaching of English composition by encouraging students to 
     use the written word early and often with less emphasis on 
     spelling and grammar; or the new math which places more 
     emphasis on teaching theories and concepts as opposed to 
     learning by rote.
       Discipline and safety: Parents emphasize repeatedly the 
     importance
      of schools providing a safe and orderly environment in which 
     education takes place. Their biggest concern is the lack 
     of discipline in the local school system and they always 
     put discipline as the most important factor needed for a 
     student to learn along with good teaching.
       Parents recognize that providing a safe and orderly 
     environment conducive to learning is a much more difficult 
     task today than it was in their generation. They believe that 
     the schools have to be very tough in emphasizing good habits 
     such as being on time and being disciplined and dependable.
       Across the country there is deep concern about drugs and 
     gun violence in the nation's schools. I really do not find 
     much emphasis on that in talking with Hoosiers about Indian 
     schools but there is some concern about gangs, fighting and 
     other disciplinary problems. They certainly do not approve of 
     students bringing drugs or weapons to school.
       Traditional values: I have been especially interested in 
     the attitude of Hoosiers toward the teaching of values, 
     morals and character. Parents want public schools to teach 
     values, but they put strong emphasis on tolerance. Hoosiers 
     understand, however, that the best 

[[Page E 1463]]
     schools cannot take the place of a strong and loving family.
       Parents are quite clear about the values they want taught: 
     honesty, respect for others, solving problems without 
     violence and a heavy emphasis on equality, fairness and 
     getting along with other students. They like the idea that 
     all of us should live together harmoniously and believe 
     schools have to teach values which unite us as a nation, 
     rather than divide us on racial and ethnic lines.
       Most seem to favor teaching specific moral values in the 
     classroom, but when it comes to a broad concept of character 
     education Hoosiers seem divided, many of them supporting it 
     but many of them saying it should be left to the parents and 
     the churches.
       Federalism issues: Hoosiers favor
        the longstanding approach of having state and local 
     governments take primary responsibility for elementary and 
     high school education. They believe that decisions on 
     school curricula, administration and organization should 
     be made at the state and local levels, not in Washington. 
     They reject the federal government mandating education 
     goals and standards.
       Hoosiers strongly favor federal support for higher 
     education, particularly in providing grants, loans and other 
     federal assistance to students from moderate income families. 
     Many parents tell me of the importance of sending their 
     children to college, but express concerns about the rising 
     costs of a college education. For many families, federal 
     education assistance makes a difference in whether and where 
     a child can go to college.
       Conclusion: A strong education system in Indiana and around 
     the country is important for many reasons. It helps boost the 
     productivity of our economy, which means higher living 
     standards for workers and their families. It also means 
     Americans better able to participate in the workings of 
     democracy, and, most importantly, an improvement in the 
     quality of individual lives. One of the best investments our 
     country can make is in education.
       I share the priority Hoosier parents give to education. I 
     agree that state and local governments must take the lead on 
     education issues. The federal government can, where 
     appropriate, lend a helping hand, but should focus its main 
     efforts on providing a strong and healthy economy which can 
     free up resources at the state and local level for education 
     programs.
       I do not believe Congress should meddle in the educational 
     affairs of the nation's schools. It should not write 
     guidelines for instruction, textbooks or tests, or teacher 
     preparation, or other matters. Congress must be extremely 
     careful that in pushing for national standards it exercise 
     restraint, and not try to direct what is taught, how it is 
     taught, and how it is tested. Schools work best when they are 
     managed by people closest to them.
     

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