• Huckabee proposed the launch of weapons of mass Instruction program which included art and
music in the curriculum besides science and math saying that these subjects stimulate creative
instincts in a child and prevents boredom and thereby lesser number of school dropouts.

• He voted for abstinence education funding on equal ground with contraceptive based
education. He was also for displaying the 10 commandments in public schools.

• Huckabee supports charter education saying that charter schools are wonderful laboratories
for educational reform. They help to incorporate good manners and basic elements of good character
and honor among the student population.

• Huckabee supported the Omnibus Education Act of 2003 which was a bit drastic though highly
effective because it focused on issuing warnings to under performing schools and authorizing the
government to step in after two years of continuous fiscal or academic distress and go to extents of
terminating the superintendent and firing and replacing the entire school board.

• Huckabee emphasized on the Smart Start program while in office as Governor in Arkansas.
This program stresses on high standards and accountability while focusing on math, reading and
character based education. Every individual school and student is held responsible and there is no
scope for low standards or failure.

• Improving education in public schools is a top priority for Huckabee. He encourages sending
children to these schools to support and have confidence in them.

• Huckabee proposes increasing state funds for hiring new teachers and raising salaries and
also supports teacher testing and merit pay.

• Obama intends to revive 'No Child Left Behind' by recruiting an army of new teachers and
support schools that need improvement rather than punishing them.

• He believes, after high school graduation, that all students should undergo a year of on
the job training or higher education to enable the creation of a skilled workforce within the
country.

• Obama supports programs like 'Head start' which is an attempt to influence early learning
in a child. This equips a young child with qualities and the confidence to go into Kindergarten.

• He suggested investing $10 billion in Education so that every child in the country can
access quality, affordable and early childhood education.

• He supports American Opportunity Tax Credit, a universally and fully refundable tax credit
that will ensure that the first $4000 of a college education is free for most Americans.

• Obama recommends a Step Up plan which has community organizations and local schools
pitching in to offer summer learning opportunities for disadvantaged children.

• He suggested consolidating Direct Loan Programs to save $4.5 billion rather than managing
these loans through banks and private money lenders.

• Obama recommends age appropriate sex education right from Kindergarten level to help
children escape child molestation.

• He supports setting up of charter schools and private investment in schools saying that it
is necessary to experiment and reward good performances in the classroom

• After school and summer school programs for minority and underprivileged youth with
parental help. This Obama stressed especially for African American fathers who seemed to be
continually absent from home.

• As Governor, Sarah Palin brought forth a 3 year plan during which she funded all school
districts with more than a billion dollars or more than 21% of General Fund expenditures.  This was
very important to education, focusing on early learning, vo-tech, work force development and
encouraging children with special needs.

• She recommended revamping 'No Child Left Behind' by introducing more flexibility in it.
There needs to be more emphasis on teaching according to Palin.

• She supports creationism involving healthy debates along with evolution in schools to
stimulate imaginative and creative skills among the new generation.

• Sarah Palin ardently supports the K through 12 foundation formula. She also said that she
would introduce a separate education appropriation bill to provide local schools with more
predictability so that they know early enough what they are going to work with and create more
efficiency through planning.

• She supports full funding for pupil transportation and municipal school debt
reimbursements. There must be provision for increases in salaries, utilities and insurance.

• Sarah stands for alternative methods of education like charter schools, home tutoring and
rural boarding schools, vocational/technical and magnet schools.

• She opines starting early education programs for at-risk groups so that they get access to
high quality programs and obtain a safe and positive environment in early years.

• She perpetrates ABC, a local program of teaching which involves core principles of
trustworthiness, fairness, caring and good citizenship.

• Mitt Romney points out the underperformance of kids in the US saying that they score only in
the bottom 10%- 25%. Therefore there is a need to revamp the education system.

• Education should not be confined to a teacher's union only. There should be involvement
from parents, the state, federal government with the support of the teachers.

• Romney advocated better pay for good quality teachers to improve quality of teaching.

• He perpetrates English immersion in schools stressing that English should be learnt at a
very young age.

• While Governor Romney brought forth a scholarship for all kids that graduate in the top
quarter of the class known as the John and Abigail Adams scholarship, which was 4 years tuition free
entry to state colleges and universities.

• He supports the concept of 'No Child left behind'.

• Romney supports setting up of charter educational institutions and conducting immediate
third party audit in underperforming schools, giving authorization to principals to replace 10% of
underperforming staff etc.

• Romney supported the elimination of Federal Department of education and favored keeping
educational reforms t the lowest level involving parents, teachers and community.

• He was against schools inflicting specific religious practices or prayer in schools.
Instead Romney stressed on teaching the importance of economics and family values.

• Romney pledged to vote for a means tested school voucher program which gave the students
coice toi attend any public or private school of their choice.

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