Do you think education is value for money? PARENTS OR CHILDREN?

Question

Reading the questions (and answers) on this site are you happy with the percentage of your taxes that are being spent on education?

If you look at the "adolescent" page, or especially "Science & Mathematics" we appear to be breeding a generation of morons who think that the answer to everything is either Wikipedia or Yahoo Answers.

What can we do about it?

I would be interested to know which country you are from, and what age.

PS I am 46 and a parent to a teenager. I am educated to degree standard.

Answer 1

Listen, it has NOTHING to do with the AMOUNT of money spent on education and EVERYTHING to do with WHERE that money is going. There is far too much administration and bureaucracy in our education system. Ideally, the feds would back out and let private companies compete for our education dollars... may the best man win. There is NO NEED for the government to be involved with education, other than to set MINIMUM standards.

This comes from a 28 y.o. woman with no children and educated to degree standard at one of the top schools in the country.

Answer 2

36 year old Southern Californian with 5 kids writes:

I am not happy with the fact that it costs $10,000 per student to educate them. I find it hard to believe it is really that much considering what teachers get paid. I supplement my children's education at home with books, trips, etc

What can be done? First, hold the administrators responsible for the way they spend tax dollars. Attend PTA meetings, school board hearings, etc. I am an accountant by profession and I get hold of the school budget and go through it with a fine tooth comb. Get and stay involved in kids education and speak up if what they are getting from the school is incorrect. I had to do that once with a history teacher.

I am also agree with the notion of school vouchers. If I pay $5000 in property taxes, I think I should get a voucher for $2500 to take my child out of school and put them in a private school. Public school still gets $2500 for not having to educate another child, I get a bit of a break, and my child gets (probably) a better education.

Answer 3

I don't think we educate our children very good at all in America. It's a big concern of mine actually...I don't know what I can do when my child starts school. I just don't know what's best for him. I was lucky enough to go to Department of Defense Schools (schools on overseas military bases with much higher standards) my whole life. I really feel sorry for kids who don't get the education they need or even want. I think Americans have started expecting less out of our children. Setting lower standards when they are young and then expecting them to reach higher standards when they are older. I am nineteen with a certificate in phlebotomy and a year to go until I finish my associates. I grew up overseas on military installations until I was seventeen and was able to graduate early in the states. I've lived in Panama(4yrs), England(10yrs), and Germany (3yrs), New Mexico(2yrs and has to have the worst education I've ever seen), and now I live in Florida(just moved here).
What do I think can be done about this? I think starting even in kindergarden standard should be higher. That way kids aren't shocked when so much is expected of them in middle/high school.

Answer 4

If mom and dad aren't around or willing to help with homework, where else are students to go? The lack of parent involvement and support of school aged children is the biggest problem with the education of children.

Second is standardized tests. Too many curriculums are tailored to a test - not to authentic learning.

Answer 5

It just pisses me off right now as the mother of a kindergarten student, that we are taxed above and beyond beleif, both federal and local, with no lube...oh, but each year we parents that send our children to public school have to shell out major bucks to supply our kids with implements the school SHOULD be providing? WTF?

Blame Bush. Period, end, dot com. Not enough money and resources for our Nation's youth to be properly educated, but there's PLENTY of reserves to spend on blowing people up and manufacturing weapons, paying gov't contractors/goons, and etc.

I'm 26, and I obviously am a citizen of the Evil Empire.

Answer 6

well depend on ure education, it will tell you what ure salary would be.


the higher the education the higher the money.

also their are instances where u have to work hard and a good ambition.

like working overtime and working towards ssomething.