Summary
This special topic poll, fielded February 7-12, 1983, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. The focus on this data collection was the quality of public schools. Respondents were asked about the most important problems facing the public schools in their community, the quality of local public school teachers, community spending on public schools, and possible cost-saving measures. Several questions asked about the type of education respondents had received and how it compared to the education children received today, as well as the relevance of the subject matter taught in public schools. Opinions were also sought on proposed ways of maintaining discipline in public schools, including instituting a dress code and physical punishment. Information was also collected on whether respondents had a child who attended a local elementary or high school in the past three years, the type of school their child attended, and whether anyone in the household was employed by the local school system. Respondents were asked about their choice of school for their children if cost were not a factor and whether they favored school vouchers and tuition tax credits for children attending private schools. Demographic variables include sex, race, age, household income, education level, religious background, and whether they had a child under the age of 18.Cf: http://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR04497.v1