Poll: Most Christian parents of public school children lack confidence in K-12 public education, and half prefer private education

How do Christian parents across the country feel about public education? 

Some 66% “lack confidence” in the quality of their kids’ K-12 education, and nearly half (43%) say their public…

How do Christian parents across the country feel about public education? 

Some 66% “lack confidence” in the quality of their kids’ K-12 education, and nearly half (43%) say their public schools don’t share their values.  

Furthermore, 49% of Christian parents of public-school children would prefer to send their kids to a private school. 

This is according to a survey commissioned by Stride K12, a company specializing in online education, to gauge Christian parents’ attitudes toward public schools and public education. Nearly 1,600 parents or guardians who self-identify as Christian and have at least one child enrolled in a public school participated in the survey, conducted by the Pinkston group. 

Besides their attitudes toward public schools, those surveyed also were asked how they feel about alternatives to public schooling. And while half say they would prefer to send their children to a private school, cost was cited as the No. 1 deterrent (over 60%). 

Respondents were also asked the extent to which they agree with the statement, “I am a proponent of public education.” More than half (58%) agreed “completely” or “somewhat” with the statement, while a full 36% could “neither agree nor disagree” with it. 

Parents also were asked about the most important factors in choosing a school. Quality of teachers (72%), safety (68%) and academic excellence (61%) ranked at the top, while “alignment with my beliefs” came second-to-last at 31%. 

Respondents represented a wide range of ages, ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds, living variously in urban, rural, suburban and small towns.  

The results reveal that Christian parents of public-school children truly do have mixed feelings about public education.