American support for public education is fragile and porous. Although many people voice initial approval of their own local public schools, this support disintegrates at the slightest probing. People think private schools do better than public schools in the areas that are most important to them - safety, order and the basics. In a survey of American attitudes:

• Sixty-one percent say private schools are more likely to provide order and discipline in the classroom, compared to only 18 percent who say local public schools do a better job in this area.

• Fifty-three percent say private schools have higher academic standards, compared to only 24 percent who think standards are higher in local public schools.

• Fifty-one percent believe private schools provide more safety and security, compared to only one in five (20 percent) who think public schools are safer.

• Fifty-four percent say private schools provide a better environment to promote values such as honesty and responsibility, while only 17 percent hold that the public schools' environment is better.

Perhaps most ominous for advocates of public schools, 57 percent of parents with children now in public schools would send their children to private schools if they could afford it - 36 percent to a religious school and 21 percent to a nonreligious school. This is in addition to parents who have already selected private education for their children.

Despite the preference for private education, only 30 percent support vouchers as a remedy for consistently failing schools. But focus group discussions suggest that most people have not thought seriously about either the benefits or possible drawbacks of the widespread use of vouchers. In addition, participants rarely show understanding of the issues concerning voucher plans.

Source: Jean Johnson, "Assignment Incomplete: The Unfinished Business of Education Reform," 1995, Public Agenda, 6 East 39th Street, New York, NY 10016, (212) 686-6610.

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