The tendency of US education reform to focus on K-12 education is the consequence of having no comprehensive national education policy and inconsistent funding, both of which are not main issues in the other countries discussed in A&B. Governments in Germany and the UK have made core curriculum standards and policies for primary and secondary education that reflect a national agenda that emphasizes areas like math, science and English (A&B). Japan has also created a rigorous curriculum that focuses on high achievement in K-12 education (A&B). What lacks in these countries however is postsecondary education policies that increase global competitiveness. It is in this respect that the US is leaps and bounds above most industrialized nations and why more international students pursue higher education opportunities at US universities than anywhere else (Fischer, 2009, http://chronicle.com/article/Number-of-Foreign-Students-in/49142/).
In the US, huge discrepancies exist amongst school districts and even schools within each district because financing relies heavily on taxes that a large majority of the population feels could be better spent elsewhere despite complaints about an ineffective education system. Attempts by the national government to reform education has come in the form of legislation like the No Child Left Behind Act, which caused frustration for educators who did not receive adequate funding to carry out given objectives and failed to meet restrictive timetables (A&B). As a result, the US has fallen behind other industrialized nations and consistently ranks lower in areas like science and math. The societal effects of these inadequacies will most likely lead to highly skilled jobs being outsourced or filled by foreign students from countries like India and China who are flocking to US universities in the thousands and pursuing degrees in fields like engineering and healthcare (Fischer, 2009). Just going to your local family care clinic or pharmacy makes you realize the impact of the US' failure to implement effective education reform and the lack of US students pursuing educations in these highly skilled areas.
Despite the complaints of US employers, other industrialized nations face the same challenges as the demand for skilled workers is not being supplied by people within the respective countries. Perhaps, we need to have a more comprehensive effort toward universal standards for education that address the global needs of an ever expanding global market since domestic needs are not even being met despite successes in certain areas of education reform.
Lindsey thank you for your post. I appreciate how you tackle the issues of the lack of skilled workers that are being “produced” in the US. I think it is a travesty how the US is falling behind so far in contributing to the global knowledge economy. I do no think that enough effort is placed on raising the standards or standings among US citizens and even makes me evaluate my public school upbringing and current graduate level coursework. I am truly curious to know what my degree once finished would look like compared to a similar program in another industrialized nation from the book.
ReplyDeleteWould the course work look the same? Would it be more difficult? What would the main focus be?
I found this chapter to be especially relevant as I have lived in AZ my entire life and I am aware that we have consistently ranked low in per pupil spending and national testing ranges in reading, science and math. It bothers me that such divergences can exist between states. I am not positive that a completely centralized system would work but I do not suppose it would hurt too much.
Anyhow I also like your reference to Pink Floyd ☺
Great analysis. As you mentioned in your post for there to be an effective reform policy there would need to be a change to a national education policy. Unfortunately, it may prove more difficult for the federal government to take back the powers it has given to the state and the special interest groups. What this national policy would consist of and how would it be implemented is yet to be seen. But with globalization as a continuing force in the world today this may be the best option to keep the US competitive in the world market.
ReplyDeleteI looked up at the results of international Olympiads on Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics. If it is a good criterion to judge the effectiveness of an education system, the first 5 gold medalists often come from the countries other than post-industrialized. The countries are: China, Kazakhstan, Puerto Rico, Mexico (Physics, 2009); China, Russia, United States, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Thailand (Mathematics, 2010); China, Russia, Korea, Austria, Iran (Chemistry, 2010)*. Interestingly, the Olympiad gold, silver and bronze medals are awarded not by one, but by a dozen of each or more.
ReplyDeleteEvaluation of the education system of a whole country, especially in comparison with other countries, has to be based on different groups of criteria. One is how school graduates are doing in general: their cognitive and social skills, ability to apply the knowledge to real life, to "sell" them on the job market and to succeed in life in terms progressing in jobs, acquiring new skills and hobbies. The other group of criteria is how school graduates are capable of creating something new and moving the science forward.
My personal observation is that poorer countries provide the world with great scientists and forward-thinking individuals, while richer countries are better at training practical skills in their students which make them more successful in life. The ratio of young ‘geniuses’ in poorer countries is smaller than the ratio of accomplished, self-realized students in richer countries in comparison to general population. In other words, less developed countries are capable of raising intellectuals, but are less capable of applying their knowledge to the market. Whereas, more developed countries raise individuals with the knowledge required for the labor market, and their affluence and upbringing allows them to excel in life in terms of acquisition of a better job, variety of hobbies, ability to travel, and general arrangements of a quality lifestyle.
Such phenomenon could be explained by the values that an education system pursues - to know for the sake of knowledge and spiritual development; or to know to be able to find a competitive job. Young residents of affluent countries have more chances to implement their knowledge and be rewarded for it, while students in poorer countries often cannot do that. That is why they are attracted to the higher education in post-industrialized countries: they acquire the skills needed for international job market and lay them on the knowledge received in their home countries, which makes them very competitive.
Source: Official web-sites of the three mentioned Olympiads.
Hello Lindsey!
ReplyDeleteI posted response to your comment on my blog. I could not post it here because it's too long. http://smelnykcpp.blogspot.com/2010/10/in-response-to-we-dont-need-no.html.