Okay, so school can be a drag: wake up, get dressed, go to school, sit in class, study (what's that?), take tests, and repeat.
But, you know what's more of a drag? An uneducated workforce in our economy. That's essentially what has happened. Not only has the American educational system stagnated, but also the educational system of other developed countries has surpassed us. We are no longer competitive.
This is disarming because we're no longer tops when it comes to education, which means other countries can surpass us with inventions and leave us in their dust.
The United State's high school graduation rate ranks near the bottom among developed nations belonging to the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Here are some frightening statistics of the US's ranking:
- Reading Literacy: 15th of 29
- Scientific Literacy: 21st of 30
- Mathematics Literacy: 25th of 30
- Problem Solving: 24th of 29
So, let's talk about some fixes to the problem:
- Government and business policies need to make education a top priority. If this doesn't happen, we'll not only endanger our economy, but our national security as well.
- We need to award effective teaching and, likewise, teachers thought to be ineffective need to be denied tenure.
- Parents need to get involved in their children's education. Find out what's going on in school by communicating with your children; stand up and be heard; make a difference.
Our economy won't get fixed until we fix our educational system. It starts at the home, then moves to the school to create better curriculums. Government can help by creating incentives.
What do you think is missing in America's educational system?