Dumbed-down America?
In all his campaign rantings Donald Trump never mentioned what many consider to be a prime national problem, our embarrassing public education results compared to other developed countries. Why do we, the world’s wealthiest nation, have education achievement scores closer to those of third world nations?
In the latest PISA study (Program for International Student Assessment) U. S. students ranked 39th in mathematics, 25th in science and 23rd in reading. I know, I know; these deficiencies can be rationalized and explained away piece-meal by education bureaucracies and teachers unions. But several different educational surveys have consistently shown American students falling behind in math, science, technology and problem-solving. Once a world leader in education, today we are ranked below the middle of the pack.
In the recent past European education systems were generally rated among the world’s best with Finland usually in the top spot. But today the East Asian nations of South Korea, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong, in that order, have crept up the ladder of educational excellence into the top spots. Scandinavian and northern European countries, usually strong performers, are losing their lofty rankings. Finland, the 2012 leader, is now in 5th place overall and Sweden is a mediocre 24th.
Germany, although presently ranked an unexceptional 15th, throughout the past two centuries, has usually maintained high standards in public education, especially in vocational training. German education is unique in that the federal government has no hand in the process. Education is entirely the responsibility of the respective states and there are few private schools (3% of the total) at any level. Are there lessons to be learned here? As in most European countries, German university education is tuition-free to those who qualify. Educational success depends on the individual’s ability and motivation, not on the size of the parents’ bank account or a willingness to mortgage one’s future.
America’s graduate schools are still the best, but today half their students are foreign. It’s in our K-thru-12, vocational training and undergraduate programs that we are falling short. And in my opinion we are probably sending too many kids to college and not enough to vocational training. One doesn’t necessarily need a college degree to be a cop, nurse or computer specialist. I have a grandson with a master’s degree in computer science. A computer geek since elementary school, he says he didn’t learn a thing in college about computers he didn’t already know. He just needed the credentials to get a good job.
Today’s belief that everyone should have a college degree has resulted in grade inflation and the proliferation of “basket weaving” and “dumbed-down” courses. Having gone back to college at age 52, I witnessed these lowered standards firsthand. When I questioned a professor about it he replied, “Very simple; the more students, the more professors’ jobs.”
There’s little doubt, American students and American education come up short and it’s going to make us less and less competitive in today’s high-tech world. But what are we going to do about it?
George B. Reed Jr., who lives in Rossville, can be reached by email at reed1600@bellsouth.net.