Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) briefly sparred on the issue of education on the Milwaukee debate stage for the Republican primary.

DeSantis emphasized his record in Florida, saying that his administration eliminated the controversial critical race theory and gender ideology in K-12 education and has instead sought to "elevate American civics."

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"I stood for our kids [in Florida]," DeSantis said, adding that he would stand up for children as president as well.

Ramaswamy doubled down on his promise to abolish the Department of Education, calling for eliminating the "head of the snake."

Ramaswamy's position on education has been the need for either a citizenship test, equivalent to that an immigrant takes to become a naturalized citizen, or national service for voting rights in order to "revive our national identity."

"Education starts in the family," Ramaswamy said, "and the nuclear family is the greatest form of governance," noting that a national crisis in fatherlessness goes hand in hand with a "crisis of achievement" in American education.

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Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND) also said he would get rid of the Department of Education and assign block grants to states for education funding.

Burgum said the "vast majority [of teachers] care about those kids" and need greater freedom to act on behalf of students and their families.