The Candidates on Education
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John McCain | McCain supports vouchers that would allow students to attend public or private schools, including religious schools, arguing that "it's time to give middle- and lower-income parents the same right wealthier families have – to send their child to the school that best meets their needs." In February 2007, McCain spoke at an event sponsored by the Discovery Institute, a think tank known for promoting the concept of "intelligent design." He says that Darwin's theory of evolution is "valid" but that students should be "exposed to every point of view." |
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Barack Obama | In a February 2008 interview Obama said he supports charter schools "as a way to foster competition in the public school system," and later he said he would double federal funding for charter schools if elected president. During the third presidential debate Obama said he does not support the use of government vouchers to attend private schools "because the data doesn't show that it actually solves the problem." In an April forum with other Democratic candidates, Obama said he believes in both evolution and the biblical story of creation and does not "think science generally is incompatible with Christian faith." |
