GOP candidates' stands on education

By: Mackenzie Taylor | SCNow
Published: January 14, 2008

This Saturday, Republicans across the state will hit the polls and vote in the first-in-the-South presidential primary.

News13 wants to make sure you're informed on all of the big issues.

Last August, the News13 Network launched its "Voice of the Voter" survey and asked you to tell us what you thought are the key issues in the primaries.

Here are the results:

5. Education

4. Healthcare

3. Corruption and ethical standards

2. The war in Iraq

1. Illegal immigration

Each night this week, we're going to profile each of the issues and tell you where each of the candidates stand, starting with education.

Rudy Giuliani favors vouchers for school choice.

Mitt Romney supports federal requirements for standardized tests and praises the No Child Left Behind law.

John McCain favors parental choice of schools, including vouchers for private schools when approved by local officials and the right of parents to choose home schooling.

Mike Huckabee believes there should be "a clear distinction between federal and state roles in education," according to his website.

Fred Thompson favors incentives for school choice.

Ron Paul wants to "abolish the unconstitutional, wasteful Department of Education and return its functions to the states," according to his website.

Duncan Hunter’s website says "school vouchers are a great opportunity to provide students and their families with additional educational choices."

--The Associated Press contributed to this report