The US education system has been obviously failing the students and lacking in its job to create self sufficient, self thinking, contributors to society. Students are greeting with rigorous class work in subjects they may never use in their lives. “Yet all anybody seems to come up with is to demand more…” according to Carl Zimmermann, author of “WE MUST REINVENT EDUCATION MODEL“. An increase in work only overwhelms the students even more causing them to develop bad work habits such as cheating or only doing the bare minimum to pass. Having ideals such as doing the bare minimum causes poor work ethic which any professional living can not tolerate. About eighty percent of those who enter high school will end up with a four year degree from a college and only twenty percent of those who get a degree go into a field that compliments their degree.
“We need to take a fresh look at what we want to accomplish for our children, what will engage them in the process and what will help them succeed even if they don’t go to college”, Zimmermann explains. I find it pointless to teach such advanced concepts when the student only has the motivation to learn it until the test is over. It would be much more beneficial to teach work ethic and how to prepare for the work life. Once you decide to focus your career that involves advanced concepts then you can start learning them.
Zimmermann’s solution to the problem is to reinvent the education system he says, “To reinvent education, we need to rethink our goals. In economic times like these, we need to make sure this generation is ready to work.” Our education system needs to be geared more towards the individual’s future or plan and less towards trivial knowledge that can be searched up in a minute or so. I’m not saying certain skills aren’t important, things such as basic algebra, reading, and writing are essential to everyday life, but not everyone needs to know how the natural log function relates to log. I think what needs to happen is we keep the similar structure with course options and allow the students to choose what will prepare them best for their future. Not only will this help personalize the students schedule it will give them more freedom at an earlier age and teach responsibility when choosing courses.
PJ,
I completely agree that the U.S. education system is weak and is in a desperate need to be reformed. It is frustrating because so many other countries have figured it out, and the U.S. just appears to be stubborn about changing it. Here is an article that I think you will find interesting: http://www.theedadvocate.org/10-reasons-the-u-s-education-system-is-failing/