has our school system failed in producing thinkers?

Answer 1

our school system is too busy producing workers and drones to bother with teaching kids to think. our government wants puppets.

Answer 2

I get the feeling that the school system has over the years become so bureaucratic in its operation that the primary goals of the institution get shuffled around and there are huge numbers of kids that fall through the cracks.

It boggles the mind to walk into a store and have a young person at the register who cannot make change. They have to rely on the readout on the machine or giving change eludes them. If the bill comes to 4.15 and you give them 5.25, you would expect them to conceptualize the problem and just give you back the dollar and dime. Most of the time, they have no idea.

I also feel the school system doesn't stress a lot more the simple rules we all have to live by out in the real world. Most have no idea how to budget, maintain a bank account, balance a checkbook, or buy within their means.

I think the school systems efforts are flawed in teaching kids just how to live.

There are thinkers coming out in the world, but without a good foundation to work from, it just results in their efforts directed in the wrong direction, which eventually means failure.

Answer 3

As a teacher, I can see that the decline in thinkers is frightening. Is the school system alone to blame? I don't think so. With federal and state mandates which demand teachers to juggle and manage more diverse needs than ever among students - and with little or no support, it should come as no surprise that less learning and more babysitting takes place in the classroom.

I certainly believe that students with disabilities deserve equal opportunities for education, but let's be realistic. Where there are disabilities, more time and attention is generally needed in order to accomplish a goal. Don't believe me? Ask someone in a wheelchair how much longer it takes to get into a facility by going around to use the handicap ramp. If I am alone in a room with 20-30 students, several of whom have varied disabilities requiring more of my time and attention, I have less time to use for general instruction. It doesn't take a math genius to figure it out.

Placing greater demands on teachers without providing the resources (extra help, for instance) is only part of the problem. Discipline and collapsing family infrastructures is probably the biggest factor.

I always have at least one class that's harder to teach than the rest because the students have learned that the consequences for misbehaving are minimal. This is particularly true when their parents are ineffective, out of the picture altogether, or believe their kid can do no wrong and refuse to permit any kind of disciplinary measures to be taken at school. In some cases, as little as half of the day's objectives are met in classes where there are an abundance of spoiled or extremely troubled students who continue to disrupt the class. Unfortunately, our own school district has limited space available in the off-campus school detention facility, so removing these students isn't always an option.

Perhaps you can understand why the teacher retention rate is so low.

Answer 4

Not only is the school system failing in producing thinkers, but they cannot use proper grammar or spell as well. The only thing most middle school and high school kids can think of is drinking, drugging, and having sex. That will certainly pay the bills when they get out of school or get them into college. They are doomed to fail if something doesn't change. School is having to compete with the outside world, and school is losing.

Answer 5

Not neccasarily - I don't think school systems should take all the blame for our decline in civilized educated people. Parents & other family members also have huge roles in a childs life. So, it's not just the school systems. Sometimes being so condescending will push kids, especially teens, into doing things they know are wrong, leaving them in situations that are most times nearly impossible to get out of alone. If some one has a child they should needless to say accept the responsibility of clothing them, feeding them, providing a roof over there head, and keeping them safe. But more importantly, raising a child to think about more than materialistic and shallow things.
So now, Our school systems are not only to blame. In my opinion that is.

Answer 6

Totally. The average intelligence of Americans is that of a twelve year old in my opinion. they all believe what they see on TV, and don't even consider the possibility of information manipulation.

The government throws money at the public school system, like that is going to help. It doesn't. Home schoolers, and private schoolers are outscoring the public schoolers.

The government simply screws up everything. Let the free market solve the problem. Do you really want your children getting their education from people as motivated to help you as DMV?

Answer 7

Not all school systems. You're all very pessimistic, focusing only on the bad. My high school was very competitive and the students took many AP classes. My teachers were all excellent and really strived to teach students to understand concepts, not just memorize words from textbooks.

It depends on your school and teachers. ex. the statistic that 1/3-1/4 of all HS students are dropouts. My school? 98% graduates.

It's true that many high school students don't want to work, but I believe there is a good percentage of thinking youths out there.

Answer 8

If you go by what you see of younger people here on ya you'd think so but I think there are always some kids who are critical thinkers , in spite of the school system.

Answer 9

yes ... the reason being; in my opinion, is the fact that education is rope learnt there is no room for creativity and intuitivity. Teachers think that if you learn 1 plus 1 you will learn that this is two and that to make three you have to be taught to add another. It seems they believe that there is no possible way that someone can just figure stuff out and if you do then they call that plagiarism. (even though you have thought it out yourself and have never come across it before).

Answer 10

Hell, it's even failed in producing people who can understand thinkers!