How bad is the U.S education system?

In my opinion, it's awful.

I've seen so many people single out ethnic minorities (mainly brown people) for being ''terrorists''. For example, the recent Miss America winner was a Hindu American but twitter exploded with many ignorant calling her ''an arab terrorist'' and ''Osama Bin Laden would be proud'' - is this what the world has come to?

• She wasn't even Muslim
• Even if she was, it wouldn't matter

I can list so many other examples, even some I've witnessed personally.

But it seems in America, that many are ignorant of other cultures and religions. IIRC, a recent survey showed that 57% of Americans can't distinguish between Sikhs and Muslims.

Now not all of the education system is bad, not at all - but it's incredibly ethno-centric and since 9/11, I honestly feel that brown people are getting the worst of it. Now speaking more personally, I always hated 'black history month' - what is the point of this? Why not just integrate it into History? IMO, FOX News promotes Islamophobia (but that's just my opinion).

Thoughts?

1. People can be so prejudiced.

2. One minute for a third grader to answer twenty math questions on the same day as a spelling test is not fair IMO. I think we should focus less on memorizing and more on critical thinking.

@comicdude23:

John Taylor Gatto. This link will answer every one of your questions about Government education. And it will also answer at least 5 questions that you didn't even know you had. This one's a bonus: Why Schools Don't Educate

You're welcome.

No.....because people being intolerant to someone else skin color, religous beliefs or gender doesn't happen anywhere else in the world, right?? Nope, just the US

Bottom line is, just because a few people are stupid on Twitter doesn't speak for an entire nation.

I'm actually surprised that only 57% couldn't distinguish between Sikhs and Muslims, I would have expected it to be higher.

The American educational system is a giant clusterf*ck because the people who control the curriculum don't understand how education actually works. There's more concern over whether or not students can regurgitate information on standardized tests than whether or not they can think and function as reasonably intelligent members of society. I've been prepping for my ACT lately and I find it amusing that the science portion doesn't actually require you to have any scientific understanding at all, it's basically just reading comprehension and whether or not you can figure out a graph.

As for the ethnocentrism... I've been fortunate enough to take entirely AP History courses with good, competent teachers, and we're able to discuss things in a more objective and understanding light. Islam, for example... I've learned about the foundations and realities of Islam and how to separate truth from prejudice and ignorance, and in fact we've generally been instructed with tolerance in mind. However, that isn't the case in the regular classes that most students are taking... I've asked some friends about the normal curriculum classes, and they say that they've never once even discussed religion at all. Never mind how you can't possibly have any understanding of history without also understanding the role of religion, because it simply doesn't get talked about... so they're taught, "This happened, then this happened," and so-on-so-forth, without ever being given an understanding of why those things happened, which is completely the important part. So they're left with these bigoted and uninformed perceptions of the "brown people" because nobody ever explained the reality to them.

QFT

It really is a shame that the abnoxiously loud 5%, can suck the rest into a generalization. Complete misinformation.

He's got a point.

The school system's been shot in the face several times, and its family is begging to let it off life support, but that's just a coincidence.

I actually read that, in a recent survey, only half of congress rejected the statement that the Earth was created as written in the Genesis, and that a big chunk of people (it was around 25%) believe that evolution didn't happen.

That's a lot of people.

Thank you. Don't get me wrong, memorization is important... to an extent. It's good to have information at the ready, and memorization practice trains the brain to retain information, which is always a positive. But we focus far too little on teaching students to actually think. That's the problem with the standardized test model; the entire focus of our education system is to program students to regurgitate information within a time limit, which is useless. They're never trained to really analyze or develop information, or even to really think logically. As a result, we're creating individuals who know some things but are, functionally, idiots. Idiots incapable of solving problems.

The bottom line is that there's a big difference between knowledge and intelligence, and we focus far too much on the former because the people who control the curriculum don't understand the difference.

This.

I agree with both statements.

Twitter is mostly filled with Ignorant Douchebags anyways.

Depends if you are in public schools or private schools, and where you live:

Oh Louisiana, what art thou doing.....

I read this book too, it's good stuff.

@netshyster:

I read this book too, it's good stuff.

My man! It helped me understand why I hated just the thought of going to school, but to this day still have an unquenchable thirst for learning anywhere BUT a classroom.

Too bad I discovered it about 10 years after my graduation day!:( Still, it certainly let me know that my kids (when I finally have some) are going to be homeschooled!

Good post.

The second part is true, it isn't talked about which is a shame. They're left with only one perception of people and not any other.

@imagine_man15: Here's a quote that always motivated me to understand rather than memorize:

If you learn to remember you will forget. But if you learn to understand, you will remember

Powerful stuff.

A spot of humor from my corner of the world, poking fun at the US:

Though on a serious note, I think the US Educational system has a worse reputation outside of the US than it actually is. Sure there are still some frightening cases showing up from time to time (like Sarah Palin) that makes you question it, but on the other hand, it's not like the US is going to run out of nuclear physicists and rocket scientists any time soon.

(Note: I have no idea what the ratio between the well educated US and the dunce department is,)

"Take at hazard one hundred children of several educated generations and one hundred uneducated children of the people and compare them in anything you please; in strength, in agility, in mind, in the ability to acquire knowledge, even in morality—and in all respects you are startled by the vast superiority on the side of the children of the uneducated."

— Count Leo Tolstoy, "Education and Children" (1862)

Smartest kids in my school at the time were two Mormon boys who were home schooled from birth until their entry point into formal, Government education. As evidence to the quote above both boys -- brothers -- were leaps and bounds more intelligent, creative, healthy and happy than any student or teacher in the School. They lived off the land, raised Cattle and grew their own food, (organic) made their own clothes, provided their own entertainment (No electronic equipment), lived religiously. ect

Government Education is tailor made to make you stupid, it's the way the want you, if you don't believe that, you're lost.

I hear that. When I was at school, I hated pretty much everything. It was and still is a prison; a prison where they trap the young at the most significant time of their lives and utterly DESTROY them.

The educational can be better no doubt. From what I've seen-the lower income schools especially have a lack of successful preparing kids for the future-many times they set the bar low to pass people. From what I've seen in most schools-it is a one size fits all. I see the educational system as the tools to build the future-it is up to the individual and their family to make use of those tools. Often the problems in schools- (violence, low test scores, teen suicide, bullying) often are connected a social aspect-often due to poor parenting and socializing (poor friends). Getting these distractions out of school-would be helpful in improving learning.

When it comes to a better educational system-recognizing every factor matters.

being honest I dont even know were or what Sikhs is. I dont think I have even heard the word. So to derail thread, I am just being honest. but that whole Miss America thing was blown out of proportion by douche bags.

This is why if religious diversity was emphasized in education, people would recognize different religious groups.

Amazing read.

Typical, have no respect for those kind of people.

Did you also know that the Internet is full of people who complain?

It is pretty screwed up. The education system teaches students how to be followers that are good at following directions. The education system is failing to teach ALL students to think for themselves.

Thus, it is the reason why, in my neck of the woods, why so many of my classmates end up doing nothing after high school for a couple years.

They don't know what to do with their new found freedom. They grew up with,

"Read this, eat this, don't look around."

It also makes sense why so many of my classmates end up joining the military after a couple years of doing nothing.

IIRC, I think the US is #17 on having the best education system which isn't a good compliment.

June'sVeryOwn

I hear that. When I was at school, I hated pretty much everything. It was and still is a prison; a prison where they trap the young at the most significant time of their lives and utterly DESTROY them.

Compulsory education of the young by the state both was and is a pillar of the Communist Manifesto, so loved by the self-proclaimed Fabian Socialists ("progressives") of both the mid 19th and into the 21st Century. It's purpose is to generate people who are only smart enough to do as they are instructed. Critical thinking is soundly chastised as an "unnecessary waste of energy" since the very act of critical thinking often nearly eliminates the ability for someone to be emotionally manipulated by politicians, fraudulent religious figures, Marxists disguised as journalists, and other demagogues historically responsible for the "GET THOSE PEOPLE OVER THERE!!!" types of mob violence that inevitably lead to millions dead or enslaved.

Rest assured, my future children will NEVER set foot inside a government (purposely misnamed "Public") school!

Ill shre this info with you all and let you do what you will with it. In East Sait Louis Illinois there are teachers, from pre-K to grade 12, that do not have degrees in anything but have the jobs because their family is in city hall and work on the school board of district 189. My mother quoted one if these "teachers" as saying (while drinking beer on the front porch f her neighbors house) "girl I don't give a f*** about them kids. As long as I get my check on time they'll pass so I won't have to deal with they ghetto ass parents in my face."

It's pretty bad. I'm a product of it.

I'm from Ireland. Our Secondary School Final Exams are way more difficult than the SATs. I could do them right now , lol. Are the standards really low there or something?

American intelligence slipping?

I'm not saying it was aliens

of course not

It was European Aliens...

People need to stop over-exaggerating things. The U.S.A education system is just fine. U.S.A is a BIG country to say that its euidcation system is terrible. It depends on the STATE.

Also racism/ignorance is not exclusive to America and people need to stop acting like it is. I can point out many other countries that have racism/ignorance of a certain ethic group they don't know about.

bad compared to what it was

This. On the whole, the USA's education is one of the best in the world. I'm not being biased, I'm British. I know that in England, from my personal experience racism is primarily spread via the media, watching Fox News I would imagine it's a similar predicament in the U.S.

Also there are many alternatives to Fox News. But again what I am really just saying is that U.S.A is a BIG country and thus it depends on the state. I live in New York state and our education system is fairly decent. While in Florida where some of my cousins live the educational system is not so good in my opinion.

As for racism. Its everywhere...Especially ignorance.

Good Post I agree with many of your points.. Just wondering in what part of the country do you attend highschool?

Oh, I didn't mean to imply that racism is just spread through the media in the US, that's what happens in England, I meant that watching shows such as Fox News indicates that that is true for America as well as Britain. Plus, according to TYT's statistics, Fox's viewers are primarily of an older demographic, the majority of people likely don't take what they say seriously to be honest. I can't believe many people are stupid enough to buy into Bill O'Reilly's and Megyn Kelly's generic nonsense.

There are people everywhere who judge others based on their religion, but in America, they are most. Or at least that's what I know from news I read.

Nina Davuluri's case is not unique. I remember Priyanka Chopra got exact same treatement after her single "In My City" appeared in an NFL game. She was called terrorist. Shah Rukh Khan, one of tge most famous person on planet, was stopped on anerican airport twice because of his name. Irrfan Khan(old Suraj from Life of Pi) removed Khan from his name for this reason.

Most hilarious(to me) incident was when Neil Nitin Mukesh(a bollywoid actor) was called a liar when he said he was an Indian. Apparently he was "too fair" to be an Indian. I ranted because rasicm always gets on my nerve.

As for US education system, I'm no expert, but I remember watching a video on Youtube which compared US' education system with that of India and Indian ES was considered better. Indian ES is not very good either(too much pressure on students), so I guess US ES is not very good.

There are people everywhere who judge others based on their religion, but in America, they are most. Or at least that's what I know from news I read.

Nina Davuluri's case is not unique. I remember Priyanka Chopra got exact same treatement after her single "In My City" appeared in an NFL game. She was called terrorist. Shah Rukh Khan, one of tge most famous person on planet, was stopped on anerican airport twice because of his name. Irrfan Khan(old Suraj from Life of Pi) removed Khan from his name for this reason.

Most hilarious(to me) incident was when Neil Nitin Mukesh(a bollywoid actor) was called a liar when he said he was an Indian. Apparently he was "too fair" to be an Indian. I ranted because rasicm always gets on my nerve.

As for US education system, I'm no expert, but I remember watching a video on Youtube which compared US' education system with that of India and Indian ES was considered better. Indian ES is not very good either(too much pressure on students), so I guess US ES is not very good.

It's spitting distance from third-world education.

I understood what you were saying.

Pretty bad

i cufused. what is a educashon sistim?

aren't you the same bloke that kept arguing with me about the ratings of Batman Begins and TDKR?

Southern Michigan, about an hour and a half from the Indiana border.