American students fall so far behind in education than students in India, Asia and Europe especially in math and science. As educational researcher Harold Stevenson (1993) notes, although "the U.S. is among the countries expending the highest proportion of their gross national product on education, our elementary school and secondary school students never place above the median in comparative studies of academic achievement."
Test scores prove that our best and brightest students don’t even compare to an average student in other countries. According to National Research Council (n.d), when tests compare achievement levels in advanced algebra, for example, twelfth graders in Japan and Hong Kong earn mean scores of nearly 80 points, twice the American mean of 40. In addition “tests measuring the mathematical ability of eighth graders in 20 countries, American students finished tenth in arithmetic, twelfth in algebra, and sixteenth in geometry. High school seniors fared just as poorly”.
The education system in America seems to be putting a lot of effort into educating students in the wrong areas. The school day is filled with classes that will have little benefit for a student entering the workforce. It would be nice to see some of the arts and music classes that put so much emphasis on learning about paintings and classical music of the past; replaced with more useful life skill classes that focus on finance, household budgeting, and the management of a bank account.
If I could change anything about the education system in America today, it would be the curriculum that is being taught. I would put more emphasis on school courses that would make students competitive candidates for the current job market. Math and science course would get top priority. I would also implement courses that would create a student that can be successful at work and in life. Providing basic life skills classes will help students avoid financial pitfalls and may prevent future economic hardships.
References
National Research Council (n.d.)
Retrieved on September 1, 2011 from http://www.nationalacademies.org/nrc/ Stevenson, H.W. (1983)
The learning Gap: why our school are failing and what we can learn from Japanese and Chinese education. Simon & Schuster New York
References: National Research Council (n.d.) Retrieved on September 1, 2011 from http://www.nationalacademies.org/nrc/ Stevenson, H.W. (1983) The learning Gap: why our school are failing and what we can learn from Japanese and Chinese education. Simon & Schuster New York
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