Are we falling behind in our Education system?

Question

Are we teaching our kids what they need to survive in the world? Countries like China, Japan, and India are turning up engineers and other scientists, doctors at an alarming rate. Where do you think we stand???

sources: http://www.skol.com

Answer 1

Yes.

There are a number of factors contributing to the dismal state of our public education system in the US, but I'd suggest resistance to change is the key reason we haven't been able to correct this downward spiral.  "Spend more money" is not the answer for everything, particularly when it comes to education.  We already spend more per student than numerous countries that consistently outperform us in testing.  Don't try to tell that to the NEA though.  In addressing poor results, why the official positions of a labor union are given so much credence in the US is beyond me.  Would anyone care to rely on the UAW to explain exactly why the US auto industry seems to be on its last legs even as the Japanese and Koreans continue to open plants in the South and make a profit?  No, the labor union in both cases is a primary culprit and is not likely to address the matter in even a remotely constructive way.  

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Answer 2

I don't think that Americans should compare themselves with countries like China or Japan. Our lifestyles are so different. The problem that I see with education that we could look at other countries to solve is the feelings that we have toward education. So many of my parents do not value education. They don't seem to care if their child does well or not.

Answer 3

Absolutely.  This has been a concern of mine for a number of years. I was a military brat and had the opportunity to live in Japan and Europe (Belguim, specifically has a great system)...They are running circles around most school districts in this nation in terms of academic rigor. As you mentioned countries like China and India are also producing great thinkers in engineering and science.  We need to wake up as a nation...

Answer 4

It depends. It seems that in most schools we touch the fundamentals and then with projects the students (sometimes) get to delve into their passions, which may lay in the sciences and mathematics. But, with NCLB, it's harded to even do projects, let alone focus on science! But, I think a student gets to the point you're referring to in HS and then really gets into it for college. So, like I said, it really depends. Good luck finding a good answer to this question! It's a good question anyway.