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Originally Posted by BullMoose
I agree that our education system needs some reform. But not "No Child Left Behind", test-'em-'til-they-drop kind of reform. I suppose I'm a bit biased as an English and Classics majour, but I think we need to teach more arts and creativity. The problem with the Asian school systems, I think, is that while they perform excellently on tests, they don't emphasize creativity or individuality in the way they should. Instead of pigeonholing students into the same system, we should offer a bit more diversity even from a young age and allow kids to emphasize what interests them (while, of course, not entirely neglecting the other subjects)
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You are correct. The Japanese in particular were sending groups of educators and still do, to the United States to figure out how we were able to solve problems. Our students were way ahead in creative thinking and problem solving. The Japanese in the last 10-15 years have been reforming their education system to implement more of the US model that requires creative thinking.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BullMoose
Some kids will immediately take to math. Let them pursue more math or science. Others might show an affinity for English... for such students, the languages should be emphasized. And so on. This may be difficult, but I think it would allow for more creativity and enjoyment of the learning process.
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NCLB makes that difficult. It is not impossible but with the emphasis on core academics and how that takes away from other areas, it is really tough. How many art majors have we discouraged and dropped out of school because they are not up to snuff mathematically but possess some of the most creative minds? Now, they struggle to get into college because of the narrow scope of NCLB.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BullMoose
Another point: we need to emphasize foreign languages more. We are SEVERELY behind on this, and if I'm not mistaken it's been proven that foreign languages help mental development overall. Of course, I think Latin should be the universal language of academia, but that's a separate point  |
Again, a funding issue. Most superintendents are mindful of the benefits of teaching foreign languages beginning at the elementary level but there are other things that priority.