In the most recent 2003 UNICEF study, the United States ranked 18th out of 24 nations in terms of the relative effectiveness of its education system. These rankings average the results of five different international studies and are used to obtain an overview of global education trends. Furthermore, the U.S. ranks ninth among industrialized nations in terms of percentage of population holding a high school degree and seventh among populations holding college degrees: two measurements that the U.S. led two decades ago. Unfortunately, these findings are but two of many international education polls in which the American education system continues its downward spiral.
So where is this lapse in education? The 2003 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, conducted in part by the National Center for Education Statistics, shows a rapid decline in both science and math scores from the fourth to the 12th grade in the U.S. as compared to other countries. Therefore, an appropriate conclusion to draw would be that our international counterparts have done a markedly better job of educating their children between the ages of 10 and 18.
To what can this education gap be attributed? Is the answer that we are not spending enough money on education? The majority of the data says no. The U.S. spends $11,152 per student per year. This ranks second internationally behind Switzerland, which spends $11,334. However, even though we have increased the amount we spend per student by about 30 percent over the last fine to 10 years, we have seen steady, sometimes even declining, international test scores. As a result, the last couple of decades have shown us the surfacing reality of a country having reached an intellectual “roadblock,” and a youth that is slowly being left behind as the members of its international community continue to excel.
But is this problem inherent in our system, or can it be fixed with good legislation? David Marsh, a professor at the USC Rossier School of Education, says, "The U.S. focuses more on procedure ... other countries work on the concept." All of us would agree that, throughout our educational careers, there have been moments where we have taken tests and done well on them, despite having replaced a solid understanding of the concepts with the easier knowledge of how to get the right answer. Does an average American fourth-grader really know what fractions are, or just how to add and subtract them? A recent poll showed that more high school students know the dates associated with the Civil War than the reasons for which it was fought. Likewise, how can we go to war in Iraq when the average American cannot find the Middle East — much less Iraq or Afghanistan — on a map? These problems are inherent in our education system and cannot be fixed with a simple act of Congress.
What the American education system needs is a system prioritizing the fixation of concepts rather than the submission of correct answers. At the same time, we must value intellectualism over test scores and be unafraid to hold a student back a grade if he or she needs it.
Our children must not be left behind, but at the same time, no child should be pushed ahead either. When all is said and done, our future is what will really be hurt the most. By supporting our upcoming generations with sub-par standards and handouts, America will be hard-pressed to remain the super-power it is today if the average American can barely read and write. Our economy is booming, our standard of living is high, and this begs the question as to how countries like Latvia, Russia and Estonia can have a better education system than ours. Lately, little attention has been paid to our education system. This lack of consideration needs to change.
"The Forum" is the collective voice of Mayfield 10, a living/learning lodge.
