30 Aug 10
Originally posted by DrKFI wouldn't say the education system is excellent. The Finns get pretty close, although they also spend much more as a percentage of GDP.
Lucky you - and I mean that, your education system is excellent. But if you knew the system to be flawed - with poor discipline, low standards, grade inflation, students graduating with sub-standard maths or literacy skills, etc - as seems to be the case in much of the US, it would surely be grossly irresponsible not to take enough of an interest during ...[text shortened]... nning grade inflation, but until that happens, it behoves parents to take more of an interest.
01 Sep 10
Originally posted by KazetNagorraThat's certainly true. As I said earlier, the problem is that we want everyone to receive the same education and everyone to graduate. To ensure mass graduations, you have got to give up on quality.
My parents spent close to zero hours investigating the standard of education at my high school but I graduated from it speaking four languages (to varying degrees) and with a good enough standard in mathematics to study physics in university. You can save parents a lot of time by simply enforcing a minimum standard and banning grade inflation.
Having said that, if you live in a good district and your kids take the right classes you can still get a very good education in US public schools.
01 Sep 10
Originally posted by normbenignIf you want a place to start pointing fingers, you can start with the courts. If schools were not in fear of being sued and forced to allow misbehaving kids in the classroom, I think you'd find a much better education system.
"Your son's education was your responsibility."
Yes, and I thought at the time that paying taxes was doing my part supporting public education to do that. I saw to it that the situation was corrected because when he worked for me, poor math cost me money.
Social promotion, grade fraud, and total lack of discipline are almost the entire story, but p ...[text shortened]... tone.
I understand the no win situation the schools are in but they created the problem.
01 Sep 10
Originally posted by normbenignThe UN is not a military alliance. It's a way for major nuclear powers to avoid getting one another too angry.
I agree on getting out of both Iraq and Afghanistan, and how about Bosnia, Kosovo and Serbia as well. Clinton said we'd be out of there by Christmas, of what year I don't know.
Get out of NATO and the UN. Then the US military would only need to be large enough to defend the US.
But also, end the department of Education which has demonstrably hur ...[text shortened]... eir own money, and they could solve their own problems instead of "waiting for the mailman".
01 Sep 10
1 edit
Originally posted by EladarI doubt that increasing the number of misbehaving kids in the classroom improves education for the other students.
If you want a place to start pointing fingers, you can start with the courts. If schools were not in fear of being sued and forced to allow misbehaving kids in the classroom, I think you'd find a much better education system.
03 Sep 10
Originally posted by MelanerpesThat's true, but it is the parents of the misbehaving kids that bring the lawsuits. This means schools back down and allow the misbehavior to continue. It really does ruin the learning enviroments in many classrooms throughout the nation. Bad apples are ruining the barrels throughout the nation.
I doubt that increasing the number of misbehaving kids in the classroom improves education for the other students.
03 Sep 10
Originally posted by FMFWho wants to make cider from bad apples? Perhaps if we cut the bad parts out and made them into fertilizer we could make cider with what's left over.
Maybe - after the Velvet Revolution wherever it was, and the Cedar Revolution in Lebanon and all the rest - the U.S.A. needs a Cider Revolution.