Missing Half the Problem in Education

            For several years the state of education in the U.S. has been declining. At one time we were the world leader. Now we are sinking miserably in all major subjects. Graduation rates have dropped badly.

            For years the answer was to lower the requirements because all that mattered was that the students can pass the tests in order to graduate. The bar, instead of being raised, has been lowered. Dramatically. And it continues to decline.

            For the past few years teachers and principals have been graded on their proficiency and results they have with the students. If they don’t do well they can be fired, or the school would be deemed failing and risk closure. I can’t possibly understand what this would gain. My question is: why is all the pressure being put on the faculty?

            Doesn’t anyone in charge understand that once the child leaves the school at the end of the day the responsibility for the child’s learning falls to the parents or to older siblings (if there are any)?

This part of the equation has in essence been ignored.

            Teachers can try every possible way of teaching the students, as imaginary as it can be, to get the message across. But if there is little or no back-up at home, the lessons have difficulty in sinking in.

            Here are a few possibilities why students have trouble away from the school:

 

            Due to the economic conditions of the times, some parents work two or three jobs to try to keep the family financially viable, but this takes most if not all the time from monitoring the child’s education.

            Since, as I stated before, the bar had been much lowered to allow students to graduate, many parents don’t really have the level of knowledge to help their own children’s schooling.

            There could be peer pressure keeping the children out beyond when they should so there is less time to get the homework done.

            With all the technology, there is the question why they should learn when the information is already in their computers. Or, they can be so wrapped in their smartphones or iPads or other devices that they detract from their learning.

            The child can be in a broken home and the environment can make the child depressed, detracting him from his studies and everything else.

            Materials including books can be difficult to get or badly out of date. In some areas of the country, officials are foolish enough to change history and science texts as they like, either because they are deniers (e.g. climate change, evolution) or due to religious beliefs.

            There can also be any number of other reasons that keep students from continuing their education at home.

 

            What should be done is survey the situation after school. Is it something at home or outside? This could find the problems and they can be addressed and hopefully to respond to them so the children can learn. It is wrong to say that the teachers and principals are the sole reason the children aren’t learning. The children must also be open to getting up to date and correct information from every source available.

            In reality, the problem can be anywhere or in more than one place. It could be in the school or out. To improve the child’s chances of success, all possibilities must be investigated and addressed.

            Children can be very resilient and resourceful. It is up to everyone to give them every chance possible to allow them to reach their potential and improve this world despite all the various deniers in the sciences.