Does education in America make the grade?
© Arden Davidson
Education in America can be seen as either the thread that holds the fabric of society together or the hands which are ripping it apart. Americans place heavy loads of responsibility and an equal amount of blame on the educational system which shapes its young minds. In one sense, education has been praised throughout America's history, hailed as a contributing factor to the success of certain educated individuals. However at the same time, the failures in the educational systems of the United States are blamed for churning out students who are not prepared to contribute to society so they end up contributing to higher crime rates, overall economic decline and crumbling morality instead. The debate has spanned the centuries: is the educational system in a real crisis or an imagined one?
Public interest in the effects of education on achievement has remained high throughout America's history. Americans share many concerns about the schooling of their children, however it is difficult to find any evidence that conclusively tells us whether the American educational system is effective or not. Various studies have deemed American students the most industrious, intelligent and driven students in the world, while others show them to be the world's most lazy, ignorant and pessimistic youth population.
Throughout each century, arguments have arisen as to the quality of public schools in the United States. The media often portrays public schools as lined with uncaring and unruly students instructed by incompetent teachers. This causes many Americans to yearn for "the good old days" of the cozy little one room school house and the incorporation of religion into the curriculum. However a return to the past is impossible considering that the schools today reflect the changes in the American family and society. Historically, education was designed to meet the needs of religious, agricultural and industrial powers, yet in today's America, learning is based on a student becoming a successful person in any field he chooses.
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