Republican presidential contender George W. Bush announced his education platform for the 2000 presidential campaign last week. But America still is waiting for him to offer an effective solution for the nation's deteriorating public school system.

Bush plans to strip federal funding from failing public schools "that cheat poor children." The money, instead, would allow parents to pay for tutors or transfer their children to better schools, including private and parochial schools.

Alerting schools with students who score below-par on annual state educational tests is a sound idea, but Bush's plan to recoup funding would send the public school system to its own funeral.

Bush says the threat of losing funds will create positive competition among schools to improve conditions. But if the competition fails, parents could send students to private schools with federal money - about $1,500 per student.

Taking money and students away from public schools only sidesteps the problem.

Fewer students will reduce teacher salaries or worse - lead to fewer teachers. Who wants to teach in a school without pupils because the government gives parents money to send students elsewhere?

Another possible calamity might be a school that slides its grading scale downward to prevent students from failing state standards, even if the students are unqualified to continue to the next grade.

Bush's plan also fails to give economically challenged parents enough money to send their children to private schools - $1,500 hardly is enough to pay for private education unless parents pay thousands of additional dollars.

Bush is the front-runner for the Republican party presidential nomination. But he should rethink his education platform to hit below the surface and solve the nation's public school problems.