“Over time, our educational deficit with other countries, notably China, particularly in the acquisition of practical skills in mathematics, engineering medical technology, and management, has grown, threatening our economic and political pre-eminence.”
At least 90% of the young US population is not smart enough to benefit from such education. That’s why we have government provided daycare...also known as public schools.
Those kids will gain nothing from more advanced curriculum and competent teaching.
No reason to invest the money.
At least 90% of the young US population is not smart enough to benefit from such education. That’s why we have government provided daycare...also known as public schools.
In Japan, a kid’s only real job is to do well in school. In larger cities, where most live, admission to high schools is competitive. Parents spend money to send their kids to after-school schools—cram schools to improve their chances to get into a good high school. Doing poorly in school is not only a disgrace to the kid, but to his family as well.
Now contrast that with America. Many parents and even educators are saying we push students too hard. If a student doesn’t get good grades (forget about actually learning anything) why it’s everyone’s fault except the kid’s. And in many places, as the article points out, a major function of the school is to ‘keep the kids off of the streets’ as opposed to actually educating them.
China is and will continue to be a force to be reckoned with. It is likely the only ancient civilization still functioning intact today. Its culture has valued eduction for thousands of years, its population is blessed with very high IQ, and maybe for the first time in its history it is able to afford to educate most of its citizens. There are what, four or five times as many Chinese as there are Americans, so with education so widespread now, it shouldn’t be a surprise that there are so many Chinese engineers, scientists, mathematicians, etc.
The biggest advantage we have is freedom, but we seem to be in the process of tossing it away.
—”No reason to invest the money.”
A comparison.
Our son-in-law is a plumber, another relative is an MD Physician.
Out of the chute, the plumber is $50/hour for his regular 40 hr job. And often 40 or more hrs on the side.
He has some lean times in the depths of the 0bama years.
The MD has a one-year internship, then another year unpaid fellowship... Buy into a practice $$$, very expensive equiptment$$$ and many hours every week.
10 years in the Plumber buys a very nice house with acreage.
15 years the Doc has a very nice house built on a barrier island. Now mostly debt-free he is in the fast lane. The Plumber is also debt-free.
The plumber has to cut hours to be a soccer coach.
His regular job carries him well but at a slower pace.
Some of his friends are starting their own businesses with luck a better path.
A big city plumber can financially do as well as a small market Doc. No match if both are working in a large city.