I think the lag in the American education system can not be pin-pointed to a single factor. There are multiple factors that caused this result. One of the main factors, I believe, is the lack of motivation in children and teenagers. At a young age, many kids start becoming less occupied with school and more entertained with their friends, video games, and computers. If these kids don't have the drive and motivation to do well in school, it is hard to force them to do well. This also stems from another factor: discipline. I know all parents have their own ways of raising their children and they always do what they can to raise a well-rounded child, but there are some parents who don't show any interest in their childs' lives. If an adult is not present from early childhood to model how children should behave, then the only other people children can model are their own friends. It is crucial that children are disciplined at a young age and they are shown what is right and wrong. Most importantly, there needs to be someone there to make them go to school and to sit them down and make them do their homework before they can play. As a kid, I would come home from school and immediately start on my homework because if I didn't do it first, then I was not allowed to go outside and play. One more factor relating to both motivation and discipline is a child's attitude. If a certain kid has an "I don't have to do anything because I'm better then everyone else" type of attitude, they certainly won't get very far in life. It is crucial that kids go into school with an open-mind and positive attitude. Obviously not every class, teacher, lecture, and assignment is going to be interesting, but what we learn from each of those things is extremely beneficial to our futures. Nothing is ever given to us on a silver platter. We all have to work for what we want, so if a child thinks that he can cruise through school until graduation and continue living under his/her parents' roof; I think they're in for a huge shock.
American Education Lacking--This is an article from 2010 that discusses multiple factors that cause the American Education system to fall behind so many others.
Academic Failure: Poor U.S. Test Results Tied To Weak Curriculum--This article provides 3 specific reasons and compares students in grades 4, 8, and 12 in both math and science.
I love your blog. As an older student it's bringing back alot of memories. My mother, who was very influential in my life, put education first. Me and my siblings weren't allowed to go and play until all homework was done. I can still remember her reading to us instead sticking us in front of the TV.
ReplyDeleteI know that basically the entirety of my freshman year was me slacking off and not working nearly as hard as I should have. Now that I have learned my lesson, my motivation has increased, but it took a lot of my own self discipline in order to do that. I think that children who are generations behind us will have even more trouble motivating themselves with the frequent advances in technology.
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