Today's Education Not Exactly Up to Par

'No Child Left Behind' Act... is this what we have come down to? No doubt in my mind, everyone now knows that everyone learns in different ways, but because of this everyone isn't getting the education necessary. Thus we're now simply pushing children and teenagers along into the next grade as best as possible. I consider some of the curriculums weak and non demanding. If pretending to be a pilgrim on the Mayflower is hard, then I must be a genius.

Compared to the Middle Ages, our education system is that os an easy blackhole. Now when people enter college, they're looking at the books going 'Holy crap!" Half of graduating students from highschool probably don't understand zilch of it. If they do, then they're the lucky ones. Why is it a homework grade is what allows a student to pass even though they don't get what it is they're learning. 'You did the homework, that raises your average now.' My apologies to the hard working teachers out there, but I'd rather be fired then teach someting that should've been taught in 6th grade., but is now being implemented in the 11th. When the real world hits, I feel utterly bad for those students and can't help but wonder, will it be worse by the time I go to college. And no, I'm not sating this a 100% fact, but an opinion seeking further knowledge upon this issue.

Your right, I was in college for a semsester. I took all the math I could in public middle school and high school, and for my first college math class. Which is the easiest a "bad at math the most" student can take. I didn't understand the alegbra and Geometry problems will enough to properly applicate them to slove them on the homework. Even when I studied it wasn't enough.

Originally posted by smalllight
Your right, I was in college for a semsester. I took all the math I could in public middle school and high school, and for my first college math class. Which is the easiest a "bad at math the most" student can take. I didn't understand the alegbra and Geometry problems will enough to properly applicate them to slove them on the homework. Even when I studied it wasn't enough.

It's a terrible situation, but I see this as a way t secretly build the social pyramid. The students getting home-schooled have it good, their knowledge is quite the useable if they ever decide to use it. But they won't because they have money where us the commons on the other hand are stuck learning what a kindergardener should've gotten, except now it's in third grade.

The problem with most schooling is this: This is for the majority of people.
Math: Students are only properly taught to use basic math skills, adding, subtracting, multipling, divinding, and basic geometry.
History: It isn't taught properly, it is used to dictate a moral to students, such as The Civil War, for an example, it was an economic war, but they over emphaize it over slavery. When really it was about the South's economic expansion and the North Politicans trying to keep the country from geopolitically and economiclly dissloving.

Note: I don't support slavery, but they pick and choose the pecking order of the factors involved, and try to dictate a virture or moral value to the Goverment, which runs public schools.

Science: They teach math easier than math classes, but still leave many students unprepared to know their elements, and the proper formulas.

English: Which is the best taught in public schools, in my personal opinion. It is taught to teach students to be prepared for colleges, but the teachers limit the ideas what students can do as authors, unless they become more interested when older. Over emphaize is put on anyalising symbolism of works. Note: This problem isn't as previlvant in High Schools.
Foreign Languages: Not taught early enough until recently.
Arts: Cutting too many classes and after school activities in urban and far out rural areas.

Just what I have noticed.

[edit on 9/17/2006 by smalllight]

why my dear, your observation is utterly helpful ^^ This I have noticed myself and can't help but realize that the students with the much older teachers are indeed lucky. Also, they throw too many factors involved that seem to upset everyone [such as cutting the arts and the whole uniform issue. There isn't solid proof that a uniform will make someone concentrate better nor will it raise their grades.]

Originally posted by The Black Widow
= This I have noticed myself and can't help but realize that the students with the much older teachers are indeed lucky. Also, they throw too many factors involved that seem to upset everyone [such as cutting the arts

and the whole uniform issue. There isn't solid proof that a uniform will make someone concentrate better nor will it raise their grades.]

Exactly, it's about how you learn, remember, and how often you use it. If you work to get a higher grade in class, it will help, but it only means your ready for a job and nothing else.

smalllight, I indeed bow to your brains on this discussion. I am glad someone put their input on this, for it does matter and is quite important for all conspiracy theorists [yes that means you who want to tear down the NWO]. To begin, you must know what's going with the future generation and a good place to start on that is with their books. I wrote a set of lyrics upon this and have found myself to know quite more than my english teacher is currently teaching. For when I was in 5- 8th grade, my english teachers had me learning from college books. Thus I took the liberty to go further. I may not be a genius, but going ahead and stopping what may be brainwashing through the educationaly system is certainly something everyone should stop and think about.

I don't believe in the NWO anymore. But I do think the economic and educational systems are becoming more steeper and harder to "go up in".

Not saying you in specifics, but you're most definitely right about the economic and educational mountains are harder to climb. That social ladder isn't so stable anymore...

That I have noticed over the last few years.

Well, being a teen, I certainly tried to live life simply, but it is more and more obvious everyday.

That is just the beginning you know.

Then I will most definitely try to keep my eyes open on all of this.

Brainwashing Interrupted

Sun's gone, lights out. Go home, go home! Buildin'g on fire. Go home, go home. Recieving telepathic waves from books that are never retrieved.
Again we fall to corruption. Absolute rule ruins absolutely. Continuous interruption. Brainwashing's over for the day.
Too much snow here. Go home, go home! Wise men on strike. Go home, go home, go home! Grasshoppers, no hopping on the grass or else you'll nver see another day of class.
Again we fall to corruption. Go home, go home! Absolute rule ruins absolutely. Go home, go home, go home! Continuous, strenuous interruption. The brainwashing never ends when the day is done.
Again we fall to corruption. absolute rule ruins absolutely. Continuous interruption. Brainwashing's over for the days.
Learn little grasshoppers; not from wise men, but from yourself.

*Blessed be to all and keep your mind and eyes open.*

Originally posted by The Black Widow
'No Child Left Behind' Act... is this what we have come down to?

Sadly, BW, yes. The US wants to compare itself to other countries who handle education in a much different manner. In other countries, tests are given to students at around the age of 12. These tests determine aptitude, and students are then provided education for their aptitude and interest. There are courses for university, general, and vocation, and maybe separate coursework for people with very limited abilities (this prevents someone with an IQ of, say, 65 from being penalized for not mastering abstract algebra, as happens to schools and individuals in NCLB).

After about two more years, students are tested again to see again where they might go.

We did need to make students more accountable, but we are going about it all wrong still, by making one set of standards for all. This one size fits all makes those with low IQs feel like failures and those at the other side of the continuum maybe feel they haven't gotten what they need, as university is not for everyone. How many bright students start university then drop out for a career not requiring college?

And for those who desire college, let's help out those who do everything we tell them to do to gain admission but can't afford it. Let's stop bribing students to join the military in order to fund their college.

Life IS more complicated today, BW. Continue to use your wisdom, intelligence and creativity for your good and the good of others.

Thanks, desert, I will.

I went through the school system like millions of others, and when I entered college, I had no problem understanding the books. I base it on the fact that I was interested in learning growing up, plus a small degree of wanting to satisfy my parents and other status quo's of the time.

Check this whopper of a test out.

This test was given to children to pass the 8th grade and move on. This test was given over a hundred years ago.

Anyone want to complain about the difficulty of some school curriculums nowadays?

Nicely put NGI, but not everyone has an interest of learning. Some probably don't care while other have lost interest due to feeling inferior in the area of knowledge. And well, I don't know about others, but I'm not smart just to impress my parents or anyone...

RE 1895 test
Go here and scroll down to "The myth of the overly tough 8th-Grade graduation exam from 1895" CAUTION it's a PDF file if you want to open it!
www.republic-of-gilroy.com...

This article takes into account passing rates for exam and graduation rates of the time.

My mother, who attended a 2-year medical technition program in the 1930's, was astounded when my then-8-yr-old son was explaining to her and drawing parts of a cell for his third grade class science (a regular class--not a gifted class at all!)--she said that is what she had to learn back then in college!

Please, no more of this "education back then was better"! Now students are forced to stay in school till they are 18 (Calif) or are labeled truant. They cannot disappear into the work force/onto the farm after 8th gr, as many did in 1895. Today's student, like my son, must learn the periodic table of the elements, atomic structure, ecology, how to use a computer for word processing and searching, 100 years more of history, etc.

Today's schools must teach EVERYONE! No one is allowed to drop out, so the poor student with an IQ of 65 must take the same graduation test as a student with an IQ of 120+ to get a diploma, and vice versa.

I think today's education is better than before.

And don't compare it to the middle ages, it's NOTHING close.