Department of education

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Introduction

Education has been one of the most contentious subjects or topics in the recent times. It is widely accepted or recognized that an individual’s level of education has a bearing on the quality of life led by an individual. Of course, there are instances where individuals with little education end up as quite successful. That, however, does not undermine the role that education plays in enhancing people’s standards of living and, consequently, the economic capacity of the entire country. This would explain why many countries or governments pay quite a lot of attention on the policies that pertain to education. It goes without saying, however, that access to education has been unequal in the United States for a long time. This is what resulted to the establishment or creation of the U.S Department of Education by President Jimmy Carter in 1979. The law that established the Department of Education stated that it was to serve public interest and promote welfare, as well as ensure that all issues pertaining to education receive the appropriate treatment. In addition, it aimed at enabling the federal government to manage its education activities in an enhanced manner. At the time of establishment, the proponents felt that as much as education was a local and state responsibility education was still of national interest. This was because it directly impacted on the ability of the nation to compete at the international level, as well as defend itself during war times. In essence, its creation provided a direct line of communication and influence with the president as far as matters pertaining to education were concerned. As much as these were extremely noble causes, recent times have seen an increase in calls for the elimination of the Department of Education. Whether these calls are politically motivated or not, there emerges the question as to whether the department has lived up to its calling. Do the cons of having the department in place outweigh the pros of the same? In my opinion, the department should be eliminated if sanity in the education sector is to be restored.

First, it is worth noting that education was under the Department of Health, Education and Welfare prior to the establishment of the Department of education. These are departments that are supposed to be working hand in hand, especially having in mind that, for any child to exploit or take maximum advantage of all educational opportunities, he or she has to be healthy, have a full stomach and come from a safe home. This holistic approach is entirely absent in the federal initiatives pertaining to education (Strauss, 16). Instead, the competing departments are always engaging in bureaucratic turf wars that have tragic results for children. In fact, the establishment of bureaucracies fills the offices with unresponsive individuals who are too busy completing some paperwork to carry out real work, and intrude too much into the state and local decision-making (Strauss, 16). In essence, its elimination would enhance the efficiency and the responsiveness of the government to matters pertaining to education.

In addition, the establishment of the Department of Education tended to transfer the resources away from the state and local sources to a uniform or one-size-fits-all umbrella. This is hardly the appropriate recipe for alleviating educational problems. This explains why the meddling of the federal government in educational matters has been a failure (Murray, 56). It goes without saying that, there is no way that a few federal bureaucrats can sit in Washington DC and come up with a curriculum that meets the distinctive needs of millions of American school children across the country. This control over matters to do with education should be restored to the local and state levels, where parents and teachers will be in charge of the matters. This is because the parents and teachers understand their children best, in which case they are best suited or placed to come up with the appropriate curriculum that suits their children. This would eventually uplift the condition of the education system in the country.

Still on the same case, it is imperative that the government carries a cost-benefit analysis of the Department of Education. The education of the American children is too crucial to be left in the hands of a federal, centralized bureaucracy. It is worth noting that the creation of the Department of Education was a political payoff by Jimmy Carter to the teachers’ unions due to their endorsement in 1976. In essence, it is imperative to judge all agencies of the government, not on their intentions but by their results (Murray, 45). Unfortunately, the Department of Education seems to have only worsened things as far as the educational outcomes of students is concerned. The test scores of students in science, mathematics and reading, have either gone down or remained flat in the last four decades. This is irrespective of the fact that the federal agencies have eaten into the public coffers more than it was initially predicted. In 2011, the Department of Education’s budget was $77.8 billion up from $13.1 in 1980, in terms of 2007 dollars. This is, in fact, close to six times the size of the department’s original budget. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the outcomes of student tests. Studies by Cato Institute have shown how an increase in federal spending has not translated into a positive impact of educational impact. It has always been known that there is no way an individual can use the same apparatus, the same process and the same variables and hope to get different results. Overturning the test scores or the performance of American students goes beyond simplistic strategies and calls for a comprehensive overhaul of the entire educational system. This would be impossible within the bureaucratic framework of the federal system, which implies that the elimination of the Department of Education is imperative.

In addition, the constitutionality of the Department of Education is extremely questionable just like many other things pertaining to the federal government. The Federal Government incorporates approximately 30 enumerated powers, which the constitution delegated to it. It is noteworthy that education is not explicitly listed in the constitution, in which case the authority and control over education should be left to the local and state governments or rather the parents and teachers (Murray, 45). In fact, Ronald Reagan campaigned on the platform of eliminating the Department of Education in 1980, right after Jimmy Carter established it. The GOP platform in 1996 read that the Federal Government incorporated no constitutional authority as far as its involvement in school curricula was concerned. In essence, the government was to eliminate the Department of Education and end the meddling of the Federal government in American schools, as well as enhance family choice in all learning levels (Murray, 34).

Perhaps the worst aspect pertaining to the Department of Education is the fact that, it has regenerated into a monstrous propaganda machine that is funded using public coffers to promote an agenda that is against most American’s values (Goetsch, 23). It is a monstrous entrenched bureaucracy that utilizes the power of the purse to instruct or indoctrinate teachers, administrators and students in ways that promote revisionist history, socialism, multiculturalism and homosexuality. Its programs emphasize on victimhood over personal responsibility, entitlement mentality over work ethic, self-esteem over discipline, and compliance over individual liberty (Goetsch, 23). This is hardly the best way to bring up the American children who happen to be the future of the nation. In essence, it is imperative that the Department of Education is eliminated at least to eliminate the wastage of public funds on unsuccessful schemes and propaganda.

In conclusion, the Department of Education was established in an effort to enhance welfare in the educational system and enhance the quality of education. However, it has regenerated into a monstrous propaganda machine, delivered nothing in terms of enhancing the performance of American children, and has no explicit constitutional basis. In addition, it is devoid of a holistic approach that is necessary in enhancing the education of American children as pertaining to safe homes, and having a full stomach, something that was well catered for when Education was under the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Studies have shown that the educational outcomes have continuously dropped or remained stagnant despite the increase in the amount of money pumped into the Department of Education’s budget. These dismal outcomes can only be remedied through the elimination of the Department of Education.

Works cited

Strauss, Valerie. Why the Education Dept. should be eliminated – Wood. The Washington Post 2010, retrieved 9th July 2012 from HYPERLINK “http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/george-wood/why-the-education-dept-should.html” http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/george-wood/why-the-education-dept-should.html

Goetsch, David L. Should We Eliminate The U.S. Department of Education? 2012 Web retrieved 7th July 2012 from HYPERLINK “http://patriotupdate.com/articles/should-we-eliminate-the-u-s-department-of-education” http://patriotupdate.com/articles/should-we-eliminate-the-u-s-department-of-education

Murray, Charles. Real Education, Four Simple Truths for Bringing America’s Schools Back to Reality. New York: Crown Publishing Group, 2009. Print