What concrete steps can we take to make sure that everyone has a decent education?

Question

And also that people, wherever they are born, have greater opportunity to contribute to the world?

This question was asked at the Dropping Knowledge event on 9th September by Bill Joy, California, USA. To find out more about Dropping Knowledge check out our blog:

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Answer 1

What a great question!

Since parents are a child's first teacher and shaper of his/her attitudes towards learning and education , we need to ensure the parents can read and comprehend the things they've read, that they can do simple math to make change, calculate recipes, figure out temperatures. So the first step in educating children is to help their parents learn.

Unfortunately most neo con governments cut funding to programs that help this , I know the Harper government has in the last few days because their idea and their pacs of what constitutes an education vastly differs from most people. However that's for another topic.

The second thing we need to do is train those who teach our children adequately and then pay them a decent wage so they will continue to teach. That includes the early education teachers, the daycare workers up through elementary school and high school and college and university.

Then get the department of educations in each country to not just focus on athletics in schools but include the arts, the humanities , emotional intelligences as well as high iqs. Give kids a well rounded education which includes music, gym, drama , the three rs, science, history , geography , languages. Lengthen the school day, in my day we went from nine am to four pm, we had an hour and a half for lunch so we got exercise. There's no reason north american schools couldn't go back to that kind of system.

Make sure special education kids actually get the education they need as well and aren't just shoved away in some corner, with the curriculum dummied down. Have realistic expectations for these kids and the equipmanet and or aides they need to succeed. Don't segregate them into their own classes if they are mentally competent to compete in regular classes but also don't have the aides doing the work for them and saying it's them. And I've seen it happen in schools.

Support apprenticeships and co-op placements so that kids who aren't going to college, have no interest in going are recognized and supported in their educational goals. Not everyone should go to college or wants to but make damn sure these kids have as much opportunity for scholarships etc as the college bound kids so there isn't a separating of college vs trade school etc with the trades and apprenticeships being treated like they are lesser thans.

The world needs to look at education in a completely different way, not just job training but intelligence training so that everyone has the chance to compete on equal footing for jobs.

Answer 2

Bring back the comprehensive system so that everyone is on a level playing field. Scrap tests at 7, 11 and 14; they don't help the children/young people or the teachers. It's just extra stress. Make sure that girls are motivated into attending school throughout the world - and make education free. Make education free of religious bias. Close all private schools. Keep private companies away from the doors of schools and close all academies in England. That would be a start.

Answer 3

Improve the drop out rate. Make sure all students stay in school and graduate from high school.

Then make it free & compulsory to attend a 4 yr, 2yr or technical college. Make it part of the entire education system so that there isn't any doubt about a higher degree.

The American educational system stops at 12 years. It should continue another 4 years until a bachelor's degree or masters degree is achieved. This happens in other countries and they produce very well educated people ready to run the world.'

Answer 4

Most parents really do not
care, or even know the importance
of education. The idea is to
have very large, very well-rounded
schools, that are almost "over staffed."

Teach the kids all the things
that the parents are supposed
to be teaching, but are neglecting
to teach their children.

The parents either were not
taught the basic things in life,
or they are so self-interested,
and self-fulfilling, that they are
not giving their children what
is needed to make them
capable adults.

Every child must be treated
with special attention and
all the instructors must be
screened and be educated
in the way to educate ALL children.

The curriculum should include
respect, hygiene, healthy diet,
responsibility, child care, and
all the other areas of becoming
a well rounded human that will
be required when the student
becomes a grown up.

Look at adults who have turned
out really well. What kind of
parents did they have that taught
them all the important stuff?

Most parents are not like
that any more. This is what
keeps kids from getting
an even break.

Answer 5

It is really funny how this question is worded. Everyone in the world is a huge task and decent education is relative. However I have an idea.
It is funny how people say parents are responsible for educating the kids when they already provide so much for the kid. The truth is children should be responsible for their own education. In first world countries, I say make the children in higher grade levels earn their public education by having them forcefully employed by the school and help turn the school into a more economically self-sustaining entity. The children will value their education more if they work for it. Older kids can tutor the younger kids and the Smarter kids can tutor the failing kids as their jobs while others can do hard work for the community. This program will help encourage better grades and keep children too busy for gangs and other illegal activities. Cops can crack down on kids not in school and public school will be open to all even the homeless kids because school no longer relies on tax money for support.

Also get rid of the test scores standard of schools. Instead, the government should send proctors to surprise test the teachers (teaching methods), drop out rates, and school facilities to give them grades. Instead of teachers concerned with getting their student's scores up, we would have schools concerned with how their teachers are teaching and keeping students in school instead of cutting out lower testing kids and focusing on raising their test scores without teaching. We should focus on quality of education not test scores.

In Third World countries, Have the government offer incentives to businesses to sponsor kids an education. The sponsored kids will recieve the necessary education level required by the government and the business will have a trained worker because the business gets to dictate the direction of his education and an automatic contract employment of 5-10 years after the education is complete. The child is also employed by the company while education is ongoing and given a food, clothing, and minimum wage to compensate for the child not being able to help in family farms or help out their families.

The education process is not ideal, but should start keeping kids in school and giving lower class kids a chance. Within a generation or two we will have an educated public.

Answer 6

We should not be satisfied with seeking only a decent education for the many. We should focus on how to offer the best education possible. This is self-education. Not formal schooling. The most curious person on earth soon becomes the wisest. Through reading voraciously and spirited conversation with others brings the education that is most useful to self and mankind. I never went to college, as I hated the authoritarian stifling and pompous attitudes of both teachers and students. Instead, I dove into books. I also took up private research and public speaking. I am now capable of doing whatever I wish, in any place, at any time. This seems to me to be the goal of education: total competence, and comfort and decisiveness in every situation. I am glad I have shunned formal education. I would urge all others to do likewise. Our world will not be at its best until we have billions of INDIVIDUALS seeking their own bliss, progress, growth and passionate desires. Freedom is the atmosphere most likely to afford this result. Great minds have the ability to impress and inspire. This is the duty of men and women who are in love with life, and there is no grander way to romance it than by absorbing truths constantly. Colleges and Universities provide a myopic strategy, and their finite and limited knowledge base are far from the imagination and conversation powers to elevate man to his utmost potential. Be self taught. This is the finest of all educations, after all.

Answer 7

Unfortunately most neo con governments cut funding to programs that help this , I know the Harper government has in the last few days because their idea and their pacs of what constitutes an education vastly differs from most people. However that's for another topic.

The second thing we need to do is train those who teach our children adequately and then pay them a decent wage so they will continue to teach. That includes the early education teachers, the daycare workers up through elementary school and high school and college and

Answer 8

By developing an education system which actually educates. The UK had one until the 1960's when Labour reared its ugly head and decided that everyone was equal and the monstrous Comprehensive school came into being. Out of the window went grammar, spelling, decent communicative language (just read what is on this web site) general knowledge, reading, discipline and self-respect.
Having created the monster - the Back to Basics policy will take another forty years if it is to eradicate the damage done to education in the 60's.
All children are not equal in intellect or ability. There was nothing wrong with recognising different abilities and teaching theory and criticism to those who could do it and practical skills to those who couldn't.
The system has to offer as decent an education to each child as he/she can contend with. This can't be done en mass.
Streaming was never a bad thing and made children feel that they were not struggling to compete with others with different and better capabilities.
In this way everyone can contribute to the best of his/her ability

Answer 9

o ensure the parents can read and comprehend the things they've read, that they can do simple math to make change, calculate recipes, figure out temperatures. So the first step in educating children is to help their parents learn.

Unfortunately most neo con governments cut funding to programs that help this , I know the Harper government has in the last few days because their idea and their pacs of what constitutes an education vastly differs from most people. However that's for another topic.

Answer 10

First I would run an evaluation on the teachers to make sure that they are truely doing their job and not just taking up time. This is a common problem in impoverished areas where the teacheres make less money then in other areas. The students suffer alot, more so if they are in the ESE programing.
Second, do away with the seperate rules for the ESE and regular education students. I have both regular and ESE children. Alot of the rules my daughter has to follow my older son does not. If he gets out of line they treat him like a 3 year old and give him the sit in the coner treatment while my 8 year old would be suspended for the same offense. This gives the students the wrong ideas, and no matter how hard we try as parents to tell them it is wrong the school begs to differ. Why pay attention in ESE if nothing happens? How do you learn?
Third, make the open door policy a rule not an exception. Alot of the schools discourage this even when the teachers welcome it. In cases where it is applied the parents and teachers work together better to help the students learn both inside and out side the classroom, along with more open communication between parents, students and teachers. That allows conflicts to be resovled more peacefully, and to get them taken care of quicker. The less time spent running around to solve the problem the more time may be spet helping them to learn.
Fourth, make the pay scale universal and not sliding. Yes, I know this would mean more taxes to fund them properly, but it would also attract more qualified teacher to the classroom, instead of like where I live. Most of the teachers in my county are out of field and some do not even know English. I would gladly pay the extra if it ment the children had better resources and teachers.
Fith, making no tolerance rules is one thing. The way they are carried out is another. We have had cases of 5 year olds arrested for sexual harresment just for hugging, yet here again an ESE studnet with a weapon is merely given 10 days of inschool. Something is wrong there, seriously. Redfine the act to be more age appropiate, and make no exception for any students with weapons. Inforce the dress code more strongly or just go straight for uniforms. It seems they pick and chose when to and when not to adhere to this act. Cell phones and such are prohibited, yet I pick up my son from igh school and watch kids chatting away on them in class. On the other hand a studnet with a pager is exspelled. Huh? Yes it happened, no it does not makes sense.
Sixth, for those students who truely do need it (autistic for example) make speacial class rooms with in the regualr schools. Seperating them from the other children does not help. They will have to learn how to cope with being around other people at some point, even if it does only end up being a doctors office. Hiding them only makes it worse for them latter if they should be teased for things they have no control over, it also adds to the stigma in the first place and spreads ignorance mor than understanding. Allow them to have some classes with the other kids, computer, reading, ect. This will help them bust their own confidence and will get rid of the shame alot of parents feel for having speacial needs children. It will also let others learn that part of understanding others is acpeting not everyone is going to function at the same level. Plus encourage pride and friendship. Something this county does not seem to comprehend with E.H.Miller hiding all the children who do not fit the status quo.
Seventh, reinforce that a doctors note is note unexcusable. The schools here try to refuse them if possible and even when accepted refuse to allow the student to make up the missing work. That does not help them what so ever! They can not help being sick, why punish them?
Last, make rules and laws the parents must follow to help. Like if a student suddenly drops in grades, make it mandatory that there must be a conferance. Dont wait until the report cards to give the student a chance to make excuses.Or if possible make a Saturday School where the parents must attend with the children to help them catch up or make up what ever work was missed due to illness, skipping, or tomfoolary by the student. make it clear progress must be made in these sessions . You would be surprised how much a parent will eforce homework if faced with that kind of alternative.

Otherwise its just little thing like making it illeagal to drop out in the first place. If its not an option, then they will have to endure. Home schooling is also a choice, in my case it is my best option. Other wise due to some of the issues listed above my 17 year old son will never get a HSD. Sorry so long, I am just very passionate about the subject. Education is the best gift we can give our children.

Answer 11

Everyone has an opportunity for a decent education. Students who study will get a decent education; students who listen and go to class every day will get a decent education, students who have parents at home who make sure homework is done will get a decent education, parents who communicate with the teacher on their students progress will get a decent education.

Students must have ambition, drive and be self motivated to get the most out of their opportunities.

Right now, all students are put together in the same classroom, move through the day together even though there are children who have learning disibilities, handicapes, behavorial problems and physical disabilities.

My ideas are not receiveed well but I think that students need to be streamed based on their abilities. Students may all be in the same classroom but if one student reads at a high level, he/she should only have students who read at that level in their reading group. One reason is so that they can advance at a pace appropriate for them, another reason is that they need to be challanged by their peers.

These are the reasons that students at lower levels need to be with students that learn at their same level.

All students would learn better, more and feel more motivated learn.

Another method to improve education is to stop experimenting with learning methods in our classrooms. Al of these programs are some obscure PHD's theory that gets instituted to satisfy their fat, bloated egos.

Instead, across the board, make it a requirement that kids are to be taught to a level of mastery. Mastery of a subject will vary between learners but all learners will have some subject or talent they can master that will boast their self esteem and self confidence.

Not every student will achieve at the same level, just like inlife not all people achieve at the same level. Let us help students learn to the best of their ability.

Now, for those who will yell and scream that this system might cause emotional damage to students, be aware that this is not a new idea. It is the system was in place during the 50's and many a good student was produced, at all levels, who had self confidence high levels of self esteem.

I condemn No Student Left Behind. It puts kids out on the streett who lack basic skills. Not only can they not do math, read or follow simple directions, they have no ability to analyze information, draw concludions or just plain think.

So the steps to ensure a decent education is to put students in situations where they can achieve and be proud of their achievements and to let students achieve to the best of their abilities, not the worse of their abilities.