Parents favor teaching civil debate in high schools

(The Center Square) – A majority of parents say it is important for high school students to learn civil debate skills, according to a new survey from EdChoice. The survey examined public opinion on several education-related issues, including school choice policies, technology use in K-12 education and the teaching of “durable skills,” such as communication, critical thinking and teamwork. It found 53% of Americans and 65% of school parents consider it very important for high school students to be taught civil debate and discourse skills. Respondents were most supportive of integrating debate skills into core subjects like math, English, and science, while only about one in five Americans and school parents favored making debate a required stand-alone course for graduation. Nearly 60% of parents rated their child’s school as excellent or very good at teaching durable skills. When asked who should be responsible for teaching these skills, most parents said it should be a shared effort be