Reagan's education secretary advocates for schools to prioritize learning rather than social experimentation.

Under President Ronald Reagan, Bill Bennett emphasized the significance of U.S. K-12 schools avoiding social experimentation as chronic absenteeism and academic performance declined since the pandemic.

Bennett stated on "America Reports" on Tuesday that the condition of the scores, particularly in math, is not good and needs improvement. However, reading scores have held up relatively well. Bennett also pointed out that the scores were declining before the COVID-19 pandemic, which was exacerbated by the pandemic.

The surge in chronic absenteeism among students in America's schools has been observed, with schools where over 30% of students are absent increasing from 14% in 2017-2018 to 43% in 2021-2022, according to "Attendance Works."

"The issue of missing students has emerged, and I believe it is linked to COVID-19. I suspect that many adults' actions have conveyed that school is not a top priority," Bennett stated.

The former education chief blamed the teachers union for the prolonged closure of schools, stating that some schools remained shut for an extended period, giving the public the impression that they were not as important.

As parents became more aware of the materials and learning methods used in some schools, particularly in remote learning, they became concerned with what they observed.

As a result of prompting parents to seek alternatives to public education, charter schools, private schools, and homeschooling have experienced significant growth.

"Bennett observed that the most significant growth is in homeschooling, as many parents believe they can better monitor their child's education and teach them what they want while avoiding topics they have no interest in."

To bring parents and students back, Bennett acknowledged the need to rebuild trust in the U.S. public education system. He emphasized the importance of schools being institutions of learning rather than places for social experimentation.

"To make school important, it must be reinstated as a temple of learning, focusing on subjects such as math, English, history, science, art, and music, taught effectively and efficiently," he emphasized.

Only then, Bennett said, will the students come.