WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said people seeking to remove books about race and diversity from schools should concentrate on banning assault weapons instead, during an interview with Reuters this week about challenges facing the U.S. education system.

Cardona said he was witnessing an unprecedented attack on public education, including specific curricula, in an effort to bolster private schooling.

“Black curriculum. Books that promote the beauty of diversity and how this country was founded. Attacks on accurate facts of history. I’ve never seen that. To me, that’s an attempt to create division in education so that you can try to sell a ‘better’ option,” said Cardona who has spent more than two decades working in education.

“Instead of focusing on banning books, they should start thinking about banning assault weapons,” he said.

He did not specify who was aiming to ban certain school books, but Republican officials have been at the forefront of a series of disputes over teaching sexuality, gender identity and race in U.S. schools.

Three children and three adults were killed in a school shooting at a Christian day school in Tennessee last month, part of a long trend of U.S. school shootings.

Florida is one of several states that have banned public schools from teaching “Critical Race Theory,” an academic framework that teaches that racism is embedded in U.S. laws, policies and institutions.

Suggesting that schools are featuring CRT, a once obscure academic concept most often taught in law schools rather than grade or high schools, has become a rallying cry of sorts in election campaigns for some Republicans.

“It really is misinformation,” Cardona said of accusations regarding the teaching of CRT. “It’s like looking for a boogeyman to create … a division.”

Cardona, a former elementary school teacher and principal, said there were “very deliberate attempts to attack public education so that a private voucher option sounds better.”

Here are some other highlights from the interview:

TRANSGENDER YOUTH ATHLETES

Cardona defended a recent Title IX proposed rule from the Department of Education that prohibits outright bans in transgender athletes in sports, but allows schools to keep them from some teams.

The rule has been criticized by some civil rights groups and activists, who say it doesn’t go far enough to help transgender kids.

“We are interested and encouraging folks to share their thoughts,” Cardona said, emphasizing that the rule was just a proposal at this point.

“The intent here is to make sure we provide opportunities for all students and protect all students’ ability to participate in athletics, and that includes our LGBTI population,” he said, adding the department had received “a lot of feedback on how difficult it is, how nuanced it is.”

The Department of Education hopes to take feedback and have the rule finalized in time for the next school year, he said.

STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS

Conservative U.S. Supreme Court justices in February signaled skepticism over the legality of President Joe Biden’s plan to cancel $430 billion in student debt for about 40 million borrowers.

Cardona expressed hope that it would hold.

“I’m very hopeful that when this passes, millions of Americans will have an opportunity to get back on their feet,” Cardona said. “If it doesn’t go forward, that would be extremely disappointing for … 43 million Americans, but it will not weaken our resolve to provide support for borrowers.”

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

The Supreme Court also is weighing whether colleges can continue to consider race as part of their admissions decisions, a practice commonly known as affirmative action.

Cardona said he intended to double down on ensuring access to education for all students.

“We cannot take a step backward in this country, and I think we … need to double down on efforts to close disparities in access and achievement and make sure that all students reach their God-given potential,” he said.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Biden said last week it remains to be seen whether artificial intelligence (AI) is dangerous, but underscored that technology companies had a responsibility to ensure their products were safe before making them public.

Cardona said the technology had risks and rewards for education.

“I’m excited about the opportunities … But there are risks. And I think we would be smart and we would be acting in the best interests of students if we calculate those risks, communicate those risks, provide professional development to educators across the country on what those risks are, and are careful how we roll this out,” Cardona said.

“I remember … having these conversations with educators in my career … when the calculator came about, or when the internet came,” he said. “We have to embrace it and stay ahead of it, and at the end of the day, we have to protect our students.”

(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Heather Timmons and Alistair Bell)

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