Chapter 10: Education Policy
Study
Education
is a public service people take for granted. For some, it provides the
knowledge and skills that enable them to continue their studies in college. For
others, receiving a quality education is a difficult, if not an impossible,
task. Chapter 10 examines the issue of education policy and provides historical
perspective to government involvement. State and local governments have always
played a large role in the making of education policy and have guarded this
role closely. Recently, however, the federal government has become increasingly
involved in elementary and secondary education.
The
chapter points out a number of problems in regard to education policy, such as
insufficient funding, poor teacher quality, and separation of church and state.
A number of different issues are explored, but the primary one remains the
question of quality and what policies can be adopted to improve education for
all
Issues in higher education also are examined to a slightly lesser extent. Specifically, the rising cost of higher education and the role of government in helping to finance it are considered. In addition, the issue of affirmative action in college admission decisions is presented for discussion.
