A recent Rasmussen Reports national phone and online survey finds 73 percent of American adults believe it is at least somewhat important for schools to teach the traditional values of Western Civilization. That includes 42 percent who said it is very important.
Nineteen percent of those surveyed said they do not think it is important to teach traditional Western values.
Public schools are not doing this, according to most of those polled. Just 25 percent believe public schools do a good job of teaching traditional values of Western Civilization. Forty-one percent said schools do not do a good job teaching traditional values while 34 percent said they are not sure.
Just seven percent rate the performance of public schools in America today as excellent. Twenty-three percent gave them a good rating. Thirty-three percent said public school performance is fair while 29 percent gave a poor rating.
Interestingly, more Republicans (27 percent) believe the performance of public schools in America is excellent or good than unaffiliated voters (19 percent). Forty-four percent of Democrats believe public schools are excellent or good.
Seventy-three percent of white adults and 72 percent of black adults and other minorities said it is at least somewhat important for schools to teach the traditional values of Western Civilization.
Forty-six percent of whites and 42 percent of other minorities rated their public schools as excellent or good. Just 36 percent of black adults agreed.
