Presidential candidates push opposing education plans

Dole plan targets high schools, seeks reduced federal role in education Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole's educational agenda includes improving secondary education for middle-class families, making college more affordable and giving students more money for their general expenses, according to leaders of the Republican National Committee. "The United States spends more money on education than any other nation," said Rep. Bob Franks (R-N.J.) in an RNC news release. "Yet our schools are characterized by failure, frustration and futility." According to the release, the Republican Party wants to improve education by giving parents control over their children's education and school placement. Much of Dole's education platform involves new programs targeted at high school education, including Opportunity Scholarships for Children and the Education Consumer's Warranty. Based on the government-sponsored Pell Grant, Opportunity Scholarships are school vouchers offering low- and middle-income families varying amounts of money to allow them to choose the best public, private or religious school for their children. The Education Consumer's Warranty assures parents who send their children to American public schools that they will find a safe environment with competent teachers, Republicans said. Penn's College Republican Chairperson Tony Andreoli, a Wharton senior, said Dole's education platform is an excellent plan, though only indirectly related to higher education. "I believe public schools [currently] don't prepare you well for higher education," Andreoli said. "There is a growing gap between those students who come to Penn from public schools versus those who graduated from a private school." Dole has also proposed to eliminate the Department of Education, thereby ending direct federal intervention in education. Dole supports the 1966 Federal Family Educational Loan Program that guarantees private loans for students, while President Clinton wants to continue a direct lending program sponsored by the federal government. The GOP has also proposed the Student Debt Reduction Act, which would pay a Stafford Loan program fee previously paid by the students receiving loans. Under Dole's leadership, the availability of student loans would grow by 50 percent over the next six years, with the maximum individual Pell Grant awards totaling $2,500 -- the highest in its history, the RNC release states.