What is wrong with the U.S. educational system?

Question

Lots of questions on Yahoo go something like this:

If a pot is 5" in diameter what size is it across?

What is wrong with the U.S. educational system? Would you say that the curriculums have been dumbed down significantly over the years?

Answer 1

There are dozens of problems, but here are some of the root ones:

- Parents don't get involved enough. The number one indicator for success in school is parental involvement, however, too many parents are letting schools raise their kids for them.

- No competetion between schools to obtain and keep students. Public education is a monopoly. No where on the planet, at any time during recorded history has a monopoly made a better service than can be had in an open market. Allow vouchers and school choice, and you will see monumental gains. Screw the teacher's union, they have zero interest in educating the kids, only in maintaining the appalling status quo.

- Schools are focusing too much on disciplinary problems, and running away from law suits. If teacher A has to spend 80% of the time addressing the misbehavior of student B, how much does that affect the rest of the class?

- NCLB forces schools to teach to a standardized test rather than focusing on learning the material.

Answer 2

well, it just doesn't make the students learn. the text is very good, but srudents don't have to learn it if they don't want to. kids spend more time on TV and games rather than studies
a child in india or china spends 4-6 hrs a day studying AT HOME (leavoe out in school!), while a child in the US spends jus 1-2 hrs
the system is made for philosophers, not professionals. most kids drop out and never reach college. they r not taught to use knowledge practically, and fail to see the importance of education in life

Answer 3

Standards continue to rise; however, we are not supplying students with the tools to succeed. Instead, we gauge intelligence on tests and not a portfolio of aquired knowledge and skills. The stakes should be higher, we live in a highly advanced world from even five years ago; however, we continue to expand but not explain or include young people in the system. We must express our aspirations for success in education to young people and include them in the law making process and the classroom experience so that when we, their forefathers, get old and suffer from dementia they can continue to expand and grow on their own and inspire the next generation in much the same manner. Teach one, reach one!

Answer 4

Yes. I have seen a 4th grade science text 10 yrs apart in publishing. They took out the vocabulary and dumbed down the language, rather than expecting students to actually learn the science words!

Sue

Answer 5

Yes, but it's not our fault. Parents expect the schools to teach the kids everything, which isn't possible. So the schools have to be dubed down for the kids with unresponsible parents.

Answer 6

It doesn't last a lifetime. One of the smartest things about where my parents went to college was that they told them (correctly) that their learning was only beginning. With technological demands on the constant increase, we need to make education available to all of us that want it, for a lifetime.

Answer 7

no noe study in usa