National Education
National Education
The “Baby Boomer” generation as we like to call it led the world in new born babies producing over hundreds and hundreds of new borne at a rapid rate. As the United States population increases, the amount of children as well as adults who needs schooling grows as well. Education in the United States is provided by the government, with three primary levels who fund the education program: Federal, State and Local. Schooling in most states of America is not mandatory, based on a families beliefs or situations, they are able to freely decide whether or not they send their children to school or not too school, to a public school or a private school. In the United states, our country bases its education programming on a system where there is a grade school, middle school, high school, and depending on the person they can pursue their education further into college. Before elementary or grade school, kids are usually sent to Kindergarten or a place where ABC’s basic morals values are taught. Grade school is your basic grammar school, teaching kids from the age of about five to eleven, depending on the grade the child is in. The United States bases its beliefs on the Constitution, where basic morals and norms are written down. In Kindergarten, teachers are to teach young kids the simple rules that adults use everyday such as the “Golden Rule,” or how to share, simple things such as that. The education of a child is very important because it is not only about book smarts or their IQ, but it teaches them right from wrong, and how to make their way into the fast pace society that the people of the United States live in. Next in a Childs education after elementary is middle school. Middle school is those good old teenage days that you’re parents always talk about. “Back in the day, I remember when a can of coke used to be ten cents,” the good old days. Middle school is where the learning and more complex issues are introduced. After grammar school, kids should know the basic principles of math, English, social studies and science. They are taught to memorize information and to retain it, but in Middle school they are taught to question, to ask why? The educational system that America abides by is a carefully thought through program, developing a Childs brain not at rapid paces, but at a slow and more hands on approach. Last but not the end of the road when it comes to education is high school. The years where grades start to count, studying becomes long and late agonizing hours that carry on throughout the night and even into the morning that is what high school is all about. Prep for college and the real world, high school teaches kids about how to manage their money, how to write a thesis paper for college and how to give back to their community. You may agree that the way the United States decides to teach their kids is a full proof method, which it may expect for there are many underlying issues. Money, teachers, and facilities are just a couple to the name the few as to why the education in America is not all that it could be.
Education in America is suffering, not only locally but nationally, with a low literacy rate compared to other developed country with a reading rate of about 86-98% of people over the age of 15 who can read (Education). This may not seem low but compared to the size of America, the maybe ten percent of those who cannot read are actually in the millions. But has anyone ever asked the question why? Like we were taught in middle school, ask the question why. Why is it that America prides itself on being one of the most dominate countries in the world when around ten percent of its nation can’t even read? As much of an illusion as it may seem, the United States is no longer the riches country in the world, in fact it’s not even close. Funding plays not only a big role in local educational systems but plays a major factor in national education systems. Pay checks for teachers don’t just cut it anymore, and without teachers, how can schools continue? (NEA) Lack of funding for the teachers are not only the problem, but school supplies, facilities, and transportation for kids also play a role in this complex issue. If a kid can’t get to school how are they expected to attend and learn? Because the government doesn’t make schooling more accessible to people who can’t afford cars, or even to ride the bus, the children along with adults of America suffer. Because funding is such a problem when it comes to education, you wonder what the country spends all the tax payers’ dollars on. You see some money going to education, you see even more money going to the war, and you see more going to buildings and comfortable living for the president. Right now in this day and age, one of the biggest costs we are currently dealing with is the war in Iraq. Draining money from the government for missiles, top secret cameras and more ammo that can fit in a state, the money left over is not much to deal with, a couple dollars here and there to the homeless, to some education programs, and some to a new jet for the white house. The funding from the government isn’t adequately distributed, and people wonder why the United States is one day going to no longer lead the world in technology. Education doesn’t only affect one set of people, it affects everyone. African Americans, Babies, and even Muslims, education plays a role in everyone’s lives. An act passed in 2001 called the “No Child Left Behind” law which raises the bar and sets a higher standard, motivating teachers and kids a like is lacking funding because the president cut money in order to be able to provide for the war in Iraq (White House)
Because education is a necessity for human survival, it primarily takes a toll on everyone, and people to come. Through the past and projecting into the future, education will always play a vital role in the world whether it is from the Chinese to the Filipinos or from the babies to adults. Because education is what got humans to where we are today such as the invention of the cars, to more pressing discoveries such as medical cures or procedures, we need kids and future generations to get good educations so they can carry on the legacy and continue to grow and a whole world, not just countries.
http://www.nea.org/index.html
http://cnets.iste.org/
http://www.nationaled.net/
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/os/technology/plan/2004/site/edlite-default.html
http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/education/