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 E_D_U_C_A_T_I_O_N |
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PROBLEM: |
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Public Education is:
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(01)
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declining in quality. |
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(02)
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drastically increasing in
cost. |
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(03)
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yielding below average
scores
in most subjects (compared to many other nations). |
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(04)
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resulting in declining numbers
of American students that are pursuing degrees in engineering, science, and
mathematics. |
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(05)
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being undermined by the
funneling of taxes into private education. |
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(06)
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being undermined by parents
that have stripped almost all authority from the teachers. Classrooms
are out-of-control, making learning difficult for those that want to learn.
Teachers must have authority to restore order to the classroom. After
most of the students have come to understand discipline, rules, authority,
order, and respect, the number of incidents of violence in schools and in
society may decline. |
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SOLUTION:
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(01) |
Make the school-year
year-round. |
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(02) |
Get rid of the excessive, top-heavy, do-nothing administration; there are too many
over-paid administrators. |
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(03) |
Implement computerized, interactive training and teaching (with audio and
video, and various input mechanisms such as microphones, touch-screens, and the usual keyboard and mouse):
- Interactive, computerized education can let students learn at their own speed.
- Lessons can be created by the best teachers. Each lesson would test and retest to ensure the subject matter was fully grasped.
- Graphics and video can provide more memorable examples than text on a page.
- It could be a wide-open industry for computer game programmers. In fact, some lessons could become a game, or contest. Learning could be made to be much, much more fun and memorable. But it would also be cost effective, because one computer program could teach tens of millions of students.
- Eliminates the need for textbooks (saving money). Instead, more information can be provided online, and accessible from public libraries also.
- The role of teachers would change; more one-on-one counseling than standing in front of a class reading out of the book, putting everyone to sleep.
- Biometrics (e.g. finger prints) could be used to discourage cheating.
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(04) |
Make physical fitness a
higher priority. Physical fitness improves mental fitness. But limit the profit-driven sports department (e.g.
football, basketball, etc.) to be funded entirely by boosters and ticket
sales, and in no way becomes a drain on the tax dollars for the school's academic funding. |
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(05) |
Stop repeatedly rewarding irresponsible
incumbent politicians with
85%-to-90% re-election rates, because few (if any) reforms and
improvements are possible without first addressing these
10+
abuses that are
hammering most Americans. |
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CONCLUSION:
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Unless the United States
successfully faces the technological revolution with its own education
revolution, a slide into second tier, third world status is not
unfathomable.
Continuing advances in technology will NOT only put an ever increasing
burden on the education systems, but the younger generation as well,
because there is going to be more and more to learn just to function in
society! Competing in a world economy is getting more
competitive and more complex.
Those are just some common-sense suggestions that could be implemented
almost immediately. However, there will be forces that will oppose these
changes (for nefarious reasons). Over-paid and over-bloated public
education administrations will fight it. Students won't want to lose
their 3 months off in the summer. Neither will many teachers.
One thing is certain, however: any nation that leads in the
computerization of education will lead in every other field also. |
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