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Thread: Is the education system sufficient?

  1. #1

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    Is the education system sufficient?

    Talking about America's education system (all the way up through college). To those who have also gone through it, what do you think? Is it awesome, or down in the dumps? Personally, I have a ton against America's method of education.
    1) First off, a large portion of the teachers/professors are just there to make money because it's one of the best jobs they can get with whatever degree they got- even though the pay still isn't great as compared to other jobs. See this video for example:

    Of course this isn't going to represent every single teacher out there, but I have known quite a few of these types of people. Schools are often willing to hire anyone with the requirements to teach, regardless if they truly care about the students or not. In addition to this, there are also a ton of teachers who have the best intentions for the students to learn, but they just are not the best teachers. Again, in my opinion, the schools' faults for just hiring people with the requisites to teach and not investigating to see if they would actually make a good teacher.
    2) Second, one of my biggest problems with the education system is that some subjects which are forced upon students aren't going to be beneficial to their future careers. For example, I'm not sure if this is a nationwide policy, but I know in my state at least that one year of art is a requirement to graduate from high school. I understand that the goal with this is to initiate creative thinking and problem solving, though in reality, by this age, people generally have developed this ability just through life experiences. Therefore, this requirement is unnecessary for those who do not plan on doing anything art related as a career in the future. They are extremely strict on this rule, as I have a friend who graduated last year from a high school near me: he did not have the art requirement; thus, they would not let him graduate until he completed an art course which resulted in him having to do one over the summer and graduate as something they call a "super senior". His future has nothing to do with being overly artistic, so this late graduation was completely pointless just because of some stupid rule.
    3) This part will be a bit smaller because I want to finish this up, but I think that high school and college should become more personalized. In both, you are subject to take classes which may or may not have a major impact on your future. For example, let's say someone plans on getting a major in some sort of mathematics. For their core classes, they are still required to take a few English credits which is understandable because communication skills in writing are important no matter what occupation you are going in to. However, it seems like overkill that he would take the same core classes as someone who is majoring in English. This is the exact same in high school, you are forced to take 4 years of math, English, etc. but if you are in the place of this future math major, then taking 4 extra years of English will be unnecessary as you will not need that in depth of a writing experience. The solution to this? Make high school more involved in terms of helping students determine what they would like their future occupation to be and let them customize their schedule more to fit with their interests. Maybe for this hypothetical math major, he would take 3 English credits instead of 4 and possibly 5 math credits instead of the regular 4.
    Anyways, to sum my argument up I believe that our education sucks and has a lot of room for improvement, the only way to fix it is to actually have people realize how bad it is so that laws can be passed to change the way it works which won't happen any time soon, if at all in my opinion. What do you guys think? Also if you're not from the U.S. feel free to chime in on how your country's education is.

  2. #2


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    Quote Originally Posted by learningtoneopet1 View Post
    Talking about America's education system (all the way up through college). To those who have also gone through it, what do you think? Is it awesome, or down in the dumps? Personally, I have a ton against America's method of education.
    1) First off, a large portion of the teachers/professors are just there to make money because it's one of the best jobs they can get with whatever degree they got- even though the pay still isn't great as compared to other jobs. See this video for example:

    Of course this isn't going to represent every single teacher out there, but I have known quite a few of these types of people. Schools are often willing to hire anyone with the requirements to teach, regardless if they truly care about the students or not. In addition to this, there are also a ton of teachers who have the best intentions for the students to learn, but they just are not the best teachers. Again, in my opinion, the schools' faults for just hiring people with the requisites to teach and not investigating to see if they would actually make a good teacher.
    2) Second, one of my biggest problems with the education system is that some subjects which are forced upon students aren't going to be beneficial to their future careers. For example, I'm not sure if this is a nationwide policy, but I know in my state at least that one year of art is a requirement to graduate from high school. I understand that the goal with this is to initiate creative thinking and problem solving, though in reality, by this age, people generally have developed this ability just through life experiences. Therefore, this requirement is unnecessary for those who do not plan on doing anything art related as a career in the future. They are extremely strict on this rule, as I have a friend who graduated last year from a high school near me: he did not have the art requirement; thus, they would not let him graduate until he completed an art course which resulted in him having to do one over the summer and graduate as something they call a "super senior". His future has nothing to do with being overly artistic, so this late graduation was completely pointless just because of some stupid rule.
    3) This part will be a bit smaller because I want to finish this up, but I think that high school and college should become more personalized. In both, you are subject to take classes which may or may not have a major impact on your future. For example, let's say someone plans on getting a major in some sort of mathematics. For their core classes, they are still required to take a few English credits which is understandable because communication skills in writing are important no matter what occupation you are going in to. However, it seems like overkill that he would take the same core classes as someone who is majoring in English. This is the exact same in high school, you are forced to take 4 years of math, English, etc. but if you are in the place of this future math major, then taking 4 extra years of English will be unnecessary as you will not need that in depth of a writing experience. The solution to this? Make high school more involved in terms of helping students determine what they would like their future occupation to be and let them customize their schedule more to fit with their interests. Maybe for this hypothetical math major, he would take 3 English credits instead of 4 and possibly 5 math credits instead of the regular 4.
    Anyways, to sum my argument up I believe that our education sucks and has a lot of room for improvement, the only way to fix it is to actually have people realize how bad it is so that laws can be passed to change the way it works which won't happen any time soon, if at all in my opinion. What do you guys think? Also if you're not from the U.S. feel free to chime in on how your country's education is.

    Yeah , man I have question myself greatly like that as well . I am a former High School Student , and have witnessed many uneducated acts of behavior by teacher and district staff. Personally , I have nothing against the American Education System , since they mosty all generally share a same method of teaching. Again I am a senior student , and really , they do require an average amount of credits in order to get a diploma. Many teachers teach an Idea in which if they continue attending classes , then they will , obtain a decent job , which I dont agree much as well. There is many people out in this country , that earn more than teacher , or police officer , but never really attended school . I beleive that the education system is decent compared to other systems such as Mexico . The mexican education , system is great , in a way that heavy discipline is greatly enforced in the students , rec. I attended an outer country system , and really taught me to value the american , way , for instace , relaxing in your chair , or chillin with the air conditioner . As far as education goes , it really is up to people to continue if they wish too. Again noboby can force someone into beleiving something , they don't wish .
    Neopoints For Sale : Safest , Purest , Realest ! : Only 2$ / Million : In Stock : 78.396.636 /92.656.022

  3. #3

    boomer's Avatar
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    Coming from the perspective of a 4-year university graduate:

    Educational degrees are worth less and less, while costing more and more.

    Back in my parents' day, tuition was a tiny fraction of what it cost now (it did not take up the majority of a middle-class income to afford a couple of kids in college like it does now). Also you didn't NEED a bachelors degree to get a decent job that could support a family.

    Nowadays, people go to college mostly because they NEED to.
    Sure, a lot of people might develop and interest and want to learn more. Some end up with a meaningful degree that is actually useful in their future jobs.
    But if those people were perfectly honest with themselves, they would not have gone to college if they had decent career options that paid enough to live on.

    I saw so many kids in college, going through the motions of classes, exams, kissing ass to get recommendations...
    But they don't really want to be there, and everyone can see it. It was a waste of their time, and their parents' money (or, the governments money, too).

    College isn't for everyone, but now society forces people to go through it, even if the degree they come out with is utter bullshit. (How many jobs can you get with a bachelors in Archaeology? or Communications?)

    So this is where the system fails. It takes all your money and gives in exchange for a piece of paper that can't get a lot of people a good enough job to pay the bills (nevermind a job they'd actually like and enjoy). You can't even get a job bagging groceries, because that piece of paper says they should pay you more and they would rather pay an illegal immigrant half the wage.

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  5. #4
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    I went to school in Florida, which is known to have one of the worst educations in the state. I was a part of the gifted and AP program, and for the English classes, it was great. But unfortunately, we lack a STRONG network of good science and math teachers. I'm not bad at either subject, and I did fine in those classes, but the teaching was subpar and I even had a math teacher who didn't speak English. It is amazing how some states, i.e. Massachusetts, are so esteemed, and some states, i.e. Florida, can be so in the dark.

  6. #5
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    1) Applaud to the boy in that video. His argument was 100% truth. I know what it's like to have that teacher that doesn't teach but just shoves print outs at you. And maybe that works for some people and others it just really doesn't. This whole idea that teachers get paid pennies is laughable. If you don't believe me, public employees have public salaries that are view able by anyone. Some of the salaries will make you want to slap teachers across the face for ever whining about being poor.

    2) I believe in a liberal education but that idea of liberal education does not include music and art. I believe whole heatedly in general education requirements in University outside of your major because it's important to have a basic idea of other things in addition to your specialization. You could be a great writer but if you can't do some intro statistics...well you're an embarrassment to yourself and your alma mater. And if employers consistently get people from a specific University that lack in areas well they might just blacklist that school. So science, math, second language, english. But art and music are too "bourgeois" for me. Sorry to say but these are the luxury subjects of society and deep knowledge in them isn't productive in the work place except if that is your career.

    3) Mostly in cities there are magnet schools and I know in my state we had options our junior year of high school to go off to another school and specialize half the day. I'm not really sure how I feel about these.

    Now a days I believe college is 150% necessary. Without a doubt. Bachelor degrees are dime a dozen these days but what does that tell you? That tells you that your high school degree one day won't be even able to get you a minimum wage job. In my opinion it is better to go to a state school, get a communications degree or whatever you're going to get versus having not having one at all.

    To see this effect: ask your parents about having a minimum wage job without a high school diploma back in the day. Fairly easy to get. Now a lot of employers - and I believe even McDonalds require you to have a high school diploma (of course at a certain age). What does that tell you? Bachelors degrees are the new high school diploma. If you don't want a bachelors go tech/trade but don't do nothing. It is not sustainable.

  7. #6
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    I think the standard public school education system is sorely lacking. It's embarrassing how much of my high school education was dedicated to learning how to take tests. Unfortunately, I believe that there's not enough money available to public education and schools find themselves in that position because the schools that have the best test scores get better funding. But learning how to take tests really prepares you for dick all in the world.

    From what my husband has told me about it, I am way more interested in the UK education system. You take general classes for a certain number of years (until you're 16, I believe) and then at that point, you either basically finish your education, or you go on and take a few classes that interest you for 2 more years (UK people, feel free to correct me on this). For instance, my brother-in-law decided that he didn't want to continue his education and got an apprenticeship on a farm because that's what he was really interested in. Once you go to university, you pick a major and those are the classes you do. My husband, for example, was a history major and I don't think I ever saw him take a single math or science course. I could make arguments that maybe he did get as well rounded of an education as I did at my university here in the states. But he finished with high honors in 3 years while I'm being dicked around by my university because I can't find a core curriculum class that's pretty specific to my school now that I'm no longer able to afford that school.

    So don't get me started on the costs of higher education because I will freak out.

    Personally, I believe in alternative education systems. I had a lot of friends who went to Waldorf schools who are crazy smart and well rounded in basically all aspects of life. We have a few high schools where I live where all the courses are taught through a certain perspective (one of them is a math based school and another is an international school, where all your core classes are based around those things). I also have a high respect for performing arts schools. I saw something recently that said that we're basically taught to sit down, be quiet, and follow the curriculum for 18 years before we're expected to decide what we want to do for the rest of our lives. It's really no wonder to me that the majority of people end up with useless degrees that can't get them jobs when we're not giving the opportunity to focus on the things that interest us before that point.

    All I know is that something needs to change.

  8. #7
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    Our educational system in America is a facade.
    As a government regulated institutional system, the playing field is not equal, nor is it intended to be. I do suggest to everyone I know to go to college, yes it's expensive, but there's ways around actually paying it...and I feel the more people not intended to utilize the system and make something out of it, the better it blows up in their face, and I'm all for that.
    All systems in America are intertwined, whether it be our health care system, educational system, or penal system. You'll note that the people that seem to think their education was worth it are people who are already in the upper class. Most of us from the lower classes assume that investing in a college education will help with social mobility, but that's just an urban legend nowadays, there is no real social mobility for those who need it most. This is deliberate in hopes that people will get sucked into federal student loans and further become slaves to the economy, owing the feds tens of thousands of dollars that they can never repay without severe financial implications down the road.
    As for the actual content of our education in America, it's more propaganda ridden than our media. To truly get anything out of it, everything you read and learn need to be researched, you can't just believe everything that comes out of your textbook, just like you cannot believe a damn thing you see on the TV.
    "but I ain't got time for time...dancing in the shadows of the shadows, no time to shine..."

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    All of the middle school/high school teachers these days don't even teach they just sit on their phone and text.

  10. #9



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    I graduated high school in 2008. When I was in high school, they only taught towards the state tests and nothing that truly benefited us. My mom let me not take the state test when I was a sophomore and they threatened to put me in remedial classes, as if me not taking them was the problem. They hired teachers who failed to teach. I still cannot diagram a sentence to this day, which is quite pathetic and I know that. I barely learned parts of speech while learning a foreign language.

    In terms of college, people are mostly there because they don't have any better options (myself included). I would have gladly not gone to college if I had any better options, but there's nothing in a small farm town for me. Looking at jobs in my major, people just want interns.

  11. #10


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    Nope. I was sent to an alternative high school in the ninth grade because I was shy, and according to the school system, shy children are a dangerous disease.

    At the alternative high school, they taught me nothing. I skipped school a lot because I mean... fuck... we had a smoking section. All the kids were getting fucked up on drugs and the teachers were more interested in helping out the loud mouthed over priviledged. If you're familiar with Washington State, Issaquah is pretty much secondary yuppy-ville, aside from Sammamish and Bellevue. The people there suck. They suck so hard.

    So, I was given the choice to complete my work at home. I did a year's worth of high school work within a month, gave it to the teacher in five notebooks. When grades came around I noticed a severe lack of credits. The "teacher" "lost" ALL of my work for the WHOLE year that I had done and I was held back.

    I left that school, got my G.E.D (which is also a joke - you'd have to be drunk not to pass that.) and did some art classes at Bellevue College and Gage. I think trade schools are really the way to go. Learn a skill... not like, fifteen unimportant electives that you'll forget once you're done with school.

    I'm continuing my education for free by buying lectures, and watching some of them for free online. Books, also.
    You learn a lot more when you can do things at your own pace, in the comfort of your own home. It's a damned shame, though.
    I watch maybe three lectures a week, but it doesn't account for anything unless I shelf out a ton of money, go in debt, and learn very little at a Community College.

    I have a disdain for academia. About half my friends graduated from good schools and are working at JC Penny's or Starbucks. One friend can't get into the school she wants, despite having a 4.0 and a year away from a Master's, because the schools would prefer to accept someone from another country, even if they're the most daft human being on the planet... just so the college can look diverse.

    A degree in America goes a lot farther in another country than it does here. America treats it's students like rotten meat.

    We need education reform, as well as putting technical colleges back on the map, not as "low class secondary colleges", but as ones for people who know what they want and don't have mommy and daddy frittering all that money down the crapper.


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