How education can create better Filipinos
Karen Arnold, a researcher in Boston College, followed the careers of 81 high school class valedictorians. Of the 95 who went to college, their average GPA was 3.6. Six of ten eventually had a graduate degree and 90 percent had professional jobs, with 40 percent in top tier jobs. But how many went on to change or run the world, or even impressed the world? None, zilch, zero.
What schools teach
Arnold said, "Even though most are strong occupational achievers, the great majority of former high school valedictorians do not appear headed for the very top of adult achievement arenas. Valedictorians aren't likely to be the future's visionaries . . . they typically settle into the system instead of shaking it up."
Eric Barker wrote about it in "Barking Up the Wrong Tree: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Success is (Mostly) Wrong." He observes, "Research shows that what makes students likely to be impressive in the classroom is the same thing that makes them less likely to be home-run hitters outside the classroom.First, schools reward students who consistently do what they are told. Academic grades correlate only loosely with intelligence (standardized tests are better at measuring IQ). Grades are, however, an excellent predictor of self-discipline, conscientiousness, and the ability to comply with rules."
Many students think their goal is to get high grades, not to learn. They conform, parrot the teachers, and give answers the teachers want to hear.
Arnold believes that valedictorians " … are extremely well-rounded and successful, personally and professionally, but they've never been devoted to a single area in which they put all their passion. That is not usually a recipe for eminence."
Life is different
School has clear rules. Life often doesn't. School is a controlled environment. Like Forrest Gump's mama said, "Life's like a box of chocolates. You don't know what you'll get when you open it."
When there's no clear path to follow, academic high achievers tend to break down. Shawn Achor, a researcher at Harvard, found out that "college grades aren't any more predictive of subsequent life success than rolling dice." A study of over 700 American millionaires showed their average college GPA was 2.9. Many are even dropouts.
Barker continued, "The second reason is that schools reward being a generalist. There is little recognition of student passion or expertise. The real world, however, does the reverse."
This means that if you want top grades but you're most passionate about math, you need to stop working on it alone, and try to get high grades in history, science and civics, too. This generalist approach doesn't lead to expertise. In real life, we almost all go on to careers in which one prominent skill is highly rewarded and other skills aren't that important, although helpful.
Finland's system
In the 1970's, Finland's educational system was evaluation-based, just like in other Western countries. Forty years ago, they decided to change, and today Finnish students and their educational system are No. 1 in the world, while the US ranks #29. According to the Business Insider, here's why:
A - Finnish children don't start school until they're 7.
B - They rarely take exams or homework, and if at all only late into their teens.
C- Students are not measured at all during the first six years of their education.
D - There's only one mandatory standardized test in Finland, at age 16.
E - All children, clever or not, are taught in the same classroom.
F - Finland spends 30 percent less per student than the United States.
G - 30 percent of children receive extra help during their first nine years of school.
H - 60 percent of students go to college.
I - The difference between the weakest and strongest students is the smallest in the world.
J - Science classes are capped at 16 students, so that students can perform experiments daily.
K - 93 percent of Finns graduate from high school.
L - 43 percent of Finnish high school students go to vocational schools.
M- Elementary students have 75 minutes of recess vs. 27 minutes in the US.
N - Teachers spend 4 hours/day in the classroom; 2 hours/week for professional development.
O - With the same number of teachers, Finland 600,000 students; New York City has 1.1 million.
P - The school system is 100 percent government-funded.
Q - All teachers in Finland must have a master's degree (but fully subsidized).
R - The national curriculum serves only as broad guidelines.
S - Teachers are selected from the top 10 percent of graduates.
T - In 2010, 6,600 applied for 660 primary school training slots.
U - The average starting salary for a teacher was $29,000 in 2008.
V - H/S teachers with 15 years experience make 102 percent of what other college grads make.
W - There's no merit pay increase for teachers.
X - Teachers are given same status as doctors and lawyers.
Y - Since 2001, Finnish children are tops in reading, science, and math.
Z - Finland beats other countries in education with similar demographics.
Education is the greatest equalizer - only if students learn. (Email: erniececilia@gmail.com)
School has clear rules. Life often doesn't. School is a controlled environment. Like Forrest Gump's mama said, "Life's like a box of chocolates. You don't know what you'll get when you open it."