Do you think the government needs to put more money into education?

Some of what you say is false or otherwised underinformed as NASA has been cut for a few times during the years. Even then, the NASA budget is only 17 billion. http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/142458main_FY07_budget_full.pdf Compare that to total education spending. Its currently 500 billion when it comes to K-12 public spending... and another 300 billion for public post-secondary. http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/tables/08s0208.pdf http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/tables/08s0208.xls Perhaps there should be more, but I always have to point out how other countries spend less on education but get a much better product (Japan, Korea, Singapore). What should the spending be though... since its never enough and always increasing? A trillion, 2 trillion? Its possible, but I'll not be surprised if the results are abyssmal. One thing stateside could do is change its mindset on education and change its attitude toward those wanting education. No more stereotypes and nonsense. Don't degrade people for learning and studying (its not just children, adults and society do this too). Another thing... why not consider other methods for education, like some of the top-tier systems, or vouchers? Can't be any worse than the 30 year tailspin known as public education. Consider the mindset and mentality towards education. Parents want more spending but want education easier... no red marks because they are "discouraging", less books and works because it makes their kids tired... Then the school systems themselves are becoming large jokes, with "filler" classes so kids can getaway with 2, 3, 4 hours of learning nothing (study hall, teachers aid, office aid). There were some kids admitting they didn't have to do any learning for half the day. Ever hear of 2 million minutes? Its a documentary but it shows the differences and it shows the problems with mindsets, funding and education as a whole. Kids don't think right and approach the situation correctly (more focus on the superficial, text messaging, sports, other garbage). Worse than this, most people want more spending in education for feel-good or just to see new things... not for education itself. The situation leads to less focus on science, technology, research and more focus on...nonsense. The disconnect is astounding. I'll admit some cirriculums need to be updated, notably the books. Things are improving though in some school districts but things take time. And noticably, certain schools have more quality than others. Its key to note that the spending and funding can vary based on property taxes and on other more direct forms of funding they receive, thus creating disparities in some areas. There is some irony about your assertion. Apparently the government spends too much in military, NASA, research & development, but should redirect or eliminate the funding to put to education. Meanwhile, the people getting the better education and may want to be in technology, research and development, advanced mechanics, science, aeronautics, exploration... they've just lost some possible employment perspectives...

Yes, there should be more money spent on education and while we are spending more money on education, let us decide what to spend it inalso start really looking at what the teachers are saying about their principals as some are rating them and finding some as very poor and perhaps some of these need to be replaced. Also, let us insure that the school district administration puts the majority of the money in the teachers' classrooms rather than its own pockets and insures that corruption has no place in education. More money needs to be spent on improving the phyical plants of schools so that children can feel safe even just visiting the bathroom. And there needs to be security to insure that the children are safe. And of course pay the teachers more money and give them a large spending allowance as we all know that teachers purchase a lot of things without getting reimbursed by their schools. As far as studies go, there are some out there which have merit and others that do not. The meritlss ones of course are not needed.

Of course I think the government should pay more money to the education. We pay the tax to the government and therefore it should do something to return to us. And education is so important for a country. It leads to our future. I love China

I think that certain things shouldnt be finaced by the government and other things should have more funding, Im someone that thinks that the people should help themselves on ceratian things and the 47 billion dollars that are in grants should go to something more important. For the most part i dont agree with welfare either, I know that it helps poor family, but who are we to know if that poor family is poor b/c they dont work, or if they are poor b/c of bad luck. I dont like knowing some of my money is going to moochers. That would also put more money on other things. Then walfare should be up to personal organizations and not the government. There are lots of places we can cut costs in the government and put that money into more important things. I really think the national government should only take care of national problems while the state government becomes the one that takes care of stuff like their schools, roads and whatnot. I just hope that one day we will get our fundings fixed to where we are better off

The goverment can pour all the funding into education that they want to but until they learn to use it EFFECTIVLY it will make NO difference. And yes i belive that all the pork barrel spending should not only be cut but come to a schreeching halt( it really should be outlawed). I however have no problem with Military or NASA although they too need to learn to manage their resourses better. I truly do not need to know how cows farting affects anything,i mean really what can you do about it? Make it against the law? Then we would not only have overcrowed jails full of people but also overcrowed jails full of cows!

Of course Govt. should pump in more and more of money to the education sector. Education is the building block of a society. A well literate society can grow at much higher pace. So for the economy to boom at optimum pace. Government should provide more of funds. To teach each and every child upto a minimum level should be governments top priority. As today's children are our future.

the government definitely needs to put more money into education, the education system in the usa is placed at 39 ( based on my memory) on the list of best places to be educated. It is a crying shame the kids are the future of the country, if they are not educated what will happen?

What I can't understand is "Where in the hel* is all the money that was supposed to go to the schools from the lotteries?" People spend millions every week to play the lottery. This was to be used to fund the schools and every day we hear there isn't any money for our schools or to pay our teachers. How did we support schools before these millions were spent on the lottery? As for the books, the government is lacking in education when you can pick up a history book and read only 1 page about George Washington and 5 about Marilyn Monroe. Just what did she do for our country?(besides be a "real close friend to J.F.K.") Yes, the government should stop and think about their future as well as stop wasting money on things we don't need. We know we can't live on the moon so drop that fantasy and take care of business here on earth. Our children deserve better. They could be spending that to find a more efficient and inexpensive fuel, build more schools and print better books.

yes i certainly think so...quality education is the backbone of a strong economy.

Hello,kaysue! Really it is good question you have raised.the governments of all countries should provide more funds for education.all the schools and colleges should be under the direct control of the government.no private parties should be allowed to run educational institutions,as they are making money from it.in India it has been made costly for which the children of lower class people cant afford so much money for educating their children.so education up to the 12th standard should made free for all children.all the expenditure on education should be met by the government.thanks.

I think the Department of Education should be completely defunded and public schools removed. A private system would emerge that offered greater opportunities for education. As it is now, we don't need to be bloating up the massive bureaucracy that is our school system anymore. It is not producing thinkers, it is producing drones. In fact, some may argue that our system can not produce thinkers because it gives them a SCHOOLING and not an EDUCATION. I suggest you look up John Taylor Gatto for more information on this subject. He has written on the source of public schooling and how it has failed our children. He writes of how countries with less compulsory schooling than the US beast us on international examinations.

I don't think there is anything more important than education. Today's children are going to be tomorrow's leaders and workers and voters. Do we really want a country full of ignorant adults in twenty years? Education should be one of our top priorities.

Yep i strongly feel that government really have to do a lot in this field too. Education is very much important for every one in this modern society so that one can think better and for the proper utilization of the resources as well. So it is the prime duty of the government to think over the thing and take some strignant step by providing education to all by refunding the schools and different voluntary programes are to be started for the people that can't earn much to provide the resources necessary for the education. No doubt government is taking the step but still it needs the active participation and the maintanance too.So a lot of work has to be done by the government to ensure the proper education to all.And for all this proper investment is necessary by the government. They are taking the income taxes and the taxes on the other commodities and that need to be properly used for building of the school,colleges etc so thet education can be available to all the youth as they are the real future.

absolutely yes,the purpose of the goverment is service for the people,to make the people happy in my country,our students can get free study for 9 years

Yes, I do think that the government must have a bigger budget in education since lots of kids want to learn and it would be better if the schools are renovated in such way they could add more classrooms and books.