American students fall behind
Educationally, American students are falling behind other countries. An identical test was given to half a million students in 65 countries; America ranked 36th, especially in reading, math and science, while students in Shanghai ranked first, Singapore was second and Hong Kong ranked third. Europe, Switzerland and Germany were at the top. In a country such as ours, where so many resources are available, why are the statistics between America and Asian students so far apart? The reasons are many, but here are a few:
• We need more parents involved in their children's education. Parents need to side with the teachers, not the student who whines that they're being picked on. We also need to seriously consider a year-round schooling system and eliminate a system that was originally based on an agricultural society.
• There must be more money spent on improving education. Times have changed and so have teaching methods. We also need to better train our teachers in new or different teaching methods.
• Pay our teachers a better salary and raise the teaching profession to a higher level of respect. In many countries (especially Asian countries), a teacher is well-respected and well-paid and holds authority.
• We allow too many students to drop out of school, and the results are not good. Without an education, and with competition for better-paying jobs becoming more crowded, young people turn to crime. The U.S. Census statistics show 38% of high school dropouts fall below the poverty line. We need to figure out how to stop school dropouts.
• Academic cheating is not new, but it's all too common. Unfortunately, when students are caught, most think they've done nothing wrong and should receive no punishment or accountability for cheating. This has to stop.
We can improve our students' test scores and raise the IQ of our children, but first, we need to repair our education system. — J.T.R., California teacher
Party safety ideas
• Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen.
• Got candles lit for a romantic mood? Keep a bottle of water in the same room just in case someone accidently knocks over a candle.
• For an outdoor party, keep bug spray repellent on hand, along with a salve to soothe bug bites.
• Make sure ALL cords and wires are out of the way so no one trips on one and falls down.
DEAR HELOISE >> Yet another hint for reusing newspaper sleeves — I donate them to the aquatics teacher at the school where I work. She and her students use them for various reasons while on field trips. This includes sliding them over their shoes to keep from getting wet and for collecting samples. Love your column, which I read daily. — Claudia M., Lebanon, Connecticut
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