About half of U.S. adults (51%) say the country’s public K-12 education system is generally going in the wrong direction. A far smaller share (16%) say it’s going in the right direction, and about a third (32%) are not sure, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in November 2023.
These findings come amid debates about what is taught in schools, as well as concerns about school budget cuts and students falling behind academically.
A separate Center survey of public K-12 teachers finds that 82% think the overall state of public K-12 education has gotten worse in the past five years. And many teachers are pessimistic about the future.
Why do Americans think public K-12 education is going in the wrong direction?
Researchers asked adults who say the public education system is going in the wrong direction why that might be. About half or more say the following are major reasons:
- Schools not spending enough time on core academic subjects, like reading, math, science and social studies (69%)
- Teachers bringing their personal political and social views into the classroom (54%)
- Schools not having the funding and resources they need (52%)
About a quarter (26%) say a major reason is that parents have too much influence in decisions about what schools are teaching.
Pew Research
