Fred on Education

In my previous post I noted how Fred addressed education on the Charlie Rose show last night. Going back to the 1980s, one strain of conservatism has called for the abolition of the Department of Education and the elimination of education funding. For a Federalist, I have found Fred's position on Education inconsistent until I heard him explain his position on Rose's show last night.

Well in South Carolina, Fred talked about what he sees as the solution to our education problems: parents --

"The federal government does not have a solution to children dropping out of school, to local schools choosing not to educate their children," Thompson said in a crowded gun shop in Greer.

"If that's the case, parents have got to do it. It's a hard lesson. I know every political candidate is supposed to come up with a 10-point program to solve all problems, but I'm telling you the truth. Those in this country who need help should get help. We have a social safety net. We have a lot of organizations out there that are not government organizations, that are charitable organizations, that are nonprofit organizations. Americans help each other. But at the end of the day, you cannot get around parental responsibility, you cannot get around the responsibility of the teenager, you cannot get around the responsibility of the local school board."

Thompson went on to say that he would turn No Child Left Behind into a block grant program so state and local communities could decide for themselves how to use federal dollars, and that he supports vouchers and competition to better the education system.

I think there are some specifics that could be done on the national level to encourage vouchers and competition, but this is a great statement by Fred on education.