Question about our nations educational system.

[wutamess]

I'm at work debating our educational system with a co-worker. She constantly shows me stat after stat about how we're educationally inferior to other countries and how we're near the bottom of all developed countries.

Anyhow, I insist on telling her that the stats are jaded because, for example: It's easy to say that KCMO school district students rank 3rd in the world as far as education goes. I'm willing to bet that lots of major public school districts are rated the same. She's not getting that and insists that our education system is really bad because of her stats she's found on the internet.

I insist on where she tells me that college curriculum lags behind other countries. Of course, she can't.

I'm interested to know what some of your CONSTRUCTIVE opinions on here are. Please be nice as she'll be reading here and she's a very respectable woman.

Thanks.

[JimNasium]

Antifreeze?

[NewChief]

Here's a .pdf that shows both sides of the issue. It's coming from the idea that the educational "crisis" is a myth created by those with an axe to grind with public education. It then has two people present each side of the issue, one arguing the crisis is a myth. The other arguing that it's a reality:
http://www.heartland.org/pdf/21001c.pdf

[htismaqe]

I don't know that our education system is "inferior" but it certainly is different.

In recent years, we've tended more and more to marginalize academics and the arts in favor of vocationally-oriented training, even in the colleges and universities.

[wutamess]

She got most of her stats from here: http://mwhodges.home.att.net/new_96_report.htm

[Phobia]

Oh, it's definitely inferior. The Chinese, for instance are vastly more educated and in general superiorly intelligent to American college graduates - and that's only after they leave grammar school.

[wutamess]

proof? Or is that what they want you to believe?
I have no doubt that as a whole Chinese High School education system is probably better than ours because we're too concerned with treating everyone equal in our public schools and no child left behind. So advanced stuff isn't being taught because of my slow ass is in the class.

But College is a different ballgame they weed out people.

[kepp]

Originally Posted by wutamess

proof?

GM vs. Honda

[JimNasium]

I'll admit that I'm not educated on this particular problem but I am curious about how it is measured. Are Chinese or Belgium children measured using the same methodology? Are similar demographic groups tested, compiled, etc?

[Phobia]

Originally Posted by wutamess

proof?

Kenneth Eng is all the proof I need.

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by kepp

GM vs. Honda

Honda is Japanese, not Chinese.

[JimNasium]

Originally Posted by Phobia

William Hung is all the proof I need.

FYP

[crazycoffey]

Get to work and stop screwing around on this site


-your boss.

[phisherman]

if you read it on the internet, then you know it's true

bp

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by wutamess

proof? Or is that what they want you to believe?
I have no doubt that as a whole Chinese High School education system is probably better than ours because we're too concerned with treating everyone equal in our public schools and no child left behind. So advanced stuff isn't being taught because of my slow ass is in the class.

But College is a different ballgame they weed out people.

I think today's colleges and universities, for the most part, are an extension of the public school system.

As a general rule, they are turning out good little corporate robots.