January 14, 2008
IT'S NOT ABOUT EDUCATING US BUT FEARING THEM:
The 'crisis' of U.S. education (Walt Gardner, 1/14/08, IHT)
[The] test score thesis failed to pass muster when Japan's economy tanked in 1990, while the U.S. economy in 1991 entered the longest period of economic prosperity in its history. If America's mediocre public schools were the culprit, then where did all the entrepreneurial talent come from during this era? And why did the vaunted Japanese educational system play an insignificant role in stemming the country's recession?In fact, Japan's economy to this day is still lethargic and an increasing concern, according to a front-page story in The Wall Street Journal of Jan. 7. Yet its schools continue to be considered among the best in the world, even as fewer big companies now hire workers full-time upon graduation.
Singapore's Education Minister understood the difference between test scores and future success. In an interview last year in Newsweek, he said: "We both have meritocracies. America's is a talent meritocracy; ours is an exam meritocracy. There are some parts of the intellect that we are not able to test well - like creativity, a sense of adventure, ambition. Most of all, America has a culture of learning that challenges conventional wisdom, even if it means challenging authority."
Despite the disconnect between educational quality and economic health, the matter curiously draws little media attention. When criticisms of American schools are made, they are played up. But when rebuttals follow, they are played down.
In the final analysis, the only thing that has significantly changed in the gloomy scenario is the actors. In 1958, the villain was Russia. In 1990, it was Japan. In 2008, it is India and China.
One of the best aspects of Matthew Brzezinski's recent Sputnik book is that it shows how hysterical the reaction was to the vastly inferior USSR. Fear of a rising China just adds the racial element. Posted by Orrin Judd at January 14, 2008 11:40 AM
Sometimes the threat most be emphasized to motivate society's laboring classes to willingly support its warrior class.
The miltary-industrial complex does not come cheap. Unless the threat were held before our eyes, we would neglect the long-term preparation needed to deter and win wars.
Posted by: Lou Gots at January 14, 2008 6:00 PMNot preparing has always been our biggest advantage over totalitarian regimes. It means we're up to date once fighting starts instead of stuck in outmoded weapons.
Posted by: oj at January 14, 2008 7:18 PMThe fallacy here is that Americans are educated in their schools. The best education takes place after schooling is over. Michael Barone began his fine book "Hard America, Soft America" with a simple question:
"Why is it that America has the least competent 18-year olds and the most competent 30-year olds in the developed world?"
It does speak to the general irrelevance of most traditional schooling. (And thank God for that says Bruno).
Posted by: jeff at January 14, 2008 10:09 PMI would venture that America does have the most competent 18 year-olds (think of the kids entering the service academies every year), but just not as many as China or Japan. Europe is fading fast, and the best of Latin America is probably coming here.
Posted by: ratbert at January 15, 2008 1:27 AMNo one learns anything useful after they leave primary school. America has the best education system in the world, but a diverse enough population, tested thoroughly enough, that our scores may differ from homogenous societies that don't test all students.
Posted by: oj at January 15, 2008 7:37 AMThere's also the fact that the vicious winner-take-all Anglo-Saxon model depends on the most competent contestants; while the let's-all-get-along group-hug socialist model depends on the average group member.
Even if the average horse in Herd A is faster than the average horse in Herd B, you have to figure the fastest horse in Herd B will beat the average horse in Herd A.
Bob, the fastest horse will win regardless of which herd he's in.
Posted by: erp at January 15, 2008 11:43 AMErp: Not if the fastest horse in one of the herds is yoked to the slowest. In my last year of teaching elementary school I was commanded to so configure my classroom.
At the end of that year I learned the result of this educational malpractice: my five top students bailed out of the public school system.
When the fast horses are treated as mere things to be sacrificed for the good of the herd, we should not be surprised when their parents look for a new herd.
Posted by: Lou Gots at January 15, 2008 6:15 PM