Is the education system, in general, broken?

I have been thinking that, not just about the fact that inner-city schools have poor teachers and educators, but that the entire education system is broken. It seems like it is more about short-term memorization and personal organization/study habits than about actually LEARNING the material. It also seems like a lot of what is on the tests would be forgotten over a long (or even short) period of time by many students, especially those not interested in the subject at hand. I think the system also discriminates against students with learning disabilities by placing them into "special" classes, thus deeming them less "worthy" than their other student counter-parts. I also feel like the whole thing is nothing but a competition, kind of like playing a video game or a sport; while some excel at "the game," some crash and burn...and usually drop out, or become disenfranchiesd with the whole system. While "educating our kids" is a good goal, and getting an education is a worthwhile pursuit for anyone, a lot of what "school" is all about anymore is nothing but a memory and organization game, and labeling kids as "gifted" or "stupid," instead of its real goal...educating kids. What are your thoughts?

Special education is needed. It does not "discriminate" against kids with learning disabilities. It puts them in an environment where they can get the extra attention and needs they require. They have tried putting kids with serious disabilities in regular classes and it causes signficant disruptions to the classroom. Most regular teachers are not equipped or trained in handling kids with those kinds of problems. They dont have the time or resources to focus exlusviely on one child.

No its not broken, 99%of teachers are amazing kids just don't have the will power or foresight to learn.

Once you get to university and see the people willing to try, you'll understand that its not the system thats the problem.

i think most of the problem lies with parents not teaching their kids that their education is the MOST important part of their lives.

Education is too general. Students show their acedemic strengths by the time they enter Junior High (Middle School) and it's here we should be allowing them to explore the subjects they excel at and help them become more proficient with the ones they don't.

This is exactly what private schools do, and that's why students in private schools peform so much better. If you treat every kid the same regardless of their strengths and abilities you're going to get students of average education, as those who could have excelled at X or Y are held back by those who cannot.

I don't think so. Kids are given every chance to succeed, but in the end it's up to the students to seize those opportunities.

I think a fare amount of the blame should be on the parents...

No its not broken, 99%of teachers are amazing frannkzappa

Did you just watch season 4 of The Wire?

I don't think so. Kids are given every chance to succeed, but in the end it's up to the students to seize those opportunities.

I think a fare amount of the blame should be on the parents...

chilly-chill

Exactly. If parents were to get off their rear end and show kids how important school is, then maybe, but the kids are just as big of a problem as the parents are. The saying "you can lead a horse to water" applies to school too.

[QUOTE="frannkzappa"]

No its not broken, 99%of teachers are amazing LZ71

I'm guessing you don't have a masters in anything, right?

School is a 2 sided operation. It relies on the kids actually trying to learn as much as the teachers are expected to educate.

The system is set up to provide kids with the best possible environment with the least amount of strain on the teachers. Special classes allow kids with special needs to be able to get an education without the extra strain it puts on a normal class through specialized programs and trained staff, and gifted classes allow students with higher cognitive abilities to actually feel tested in school, putting their abilities to use instead of just gliding through.

The system is a little... broken, I guess, in some ways, but all in all, it works if students try to learn. I've never had a bad teacher in my ife, despite what most of my fellow classmates said while I was in high school, and the only people that had a problem with the system were the ones who weren't willing to use it, only complain and goof around.

[QUOTE="chilly-chill"]

I don't think so. Kids are given every chance to succeed, but in the end it's up to the students to seize those opportunities.

I think a fare amount of the blame should be on the parents...

WhiteKnight77

Exactly. If parents were to get off their rear end and show kids how important school is, then maybe, but the kids are just as big of a problem as the parents are. The saying "you can lead a horse to water" applies to school too.

Yes. There are teachers who do care but that's not the biggest problem. The problem is that we've made education such a minor issue when it should be a major issue that's both economical and social. It does need reformation in that, we should allow parents to pick any public school that they want their children to go to with their taxpayer money attached to them. If they wish that their children go to a private school or a religious institution, they should be allowed to exempt themselves (or at least, pay minimal tax) from having to pay taxes since, obviously, they're going to pay for their childrens' private education. Also get rid of testing and allow teachers to teach the subject without restricting them to standardized testing. Oh and get rid of Zero Tolerance policies. Completely. Sick and tired of hearing stories of kids getting suspended for the most trivial things.

Perhaps another thing is to make a high school education matter more. In other words, equivelent to a college associates degree and having jobs that shouldn't require a degree more accessible. However that is just an opinion and perhaps not possible.

State government should provide funding and allow taxpayer money to be attached to the parents. The State should be working for the parents and the parents should be allowed how their children should be taught, whether it's public school, homeschooling, or military schooling.

There are also numerous things that I haven't listed but too tired to.

My mom is a special education teacher at an inner city school. If she wasn't there, all of her kids would be held back multiple years. Special education is definitely necessary.

[QUOTE="WhiteKnight77"]Exactly. If parents were to get off their rear end and show kids how important school is, then maybe, but the kids are just as big of a problem as the parents are. The saying "you can lead a horse to water" applies to school too.the_plan_man

What "game?" You show up, participate and do your work.

Plenty of schools offer free tutoring for those that are behind, no excuse in why they can't be successful. It's not all on the teachers either. Students need to learn to communicate just as much as the teachers, if they don't ask for help how will they know someone is having a problem? You have to want to be there.

[QUOTE="LZ71"][QUOTE="frannkzappa"]

No its not broken, 99%of teachers are amazing frannkzappa

I'm guessing you don't have a masters in anything, right?

[QUOTE="LZ71"][QUOTE="frannkzappa"]

No its not broken, 99%of teachers are amazing frannkzappa

I'm guessing you don't have a masters in anything, right?

Schooling =/= intelligence/credibility. A true genius doesn't need college.

[QUOTE="frannkzappa"]

[QUOTE="LZ71"] :lol:

LZ71

I'm guessing you don't have a masters in anything, right?

no but a masters level education is kinda hard to get if you suck at what you do.

you cant honestly say that its not the students fault for failing, nine time out of ten.

You guys are too young to be that cynical.

A true genius doesn't need college.Fightingfan

[QUOTE="frannkzappa"]

[QUOTE="LZ71"][QUOTE="frannkzappa"]

No its not broken, 99%of teachers are amazing Fightingfan

Schooling =/= intelligence/credibility. A true genius doesn't need college.

Im guessing you dropped out.

[QUOTE="LZ71"][QUOTE="frannkzappa"]

I'm guessing you don't have a masters in anything, right?

frannkzappa

no but a masters level education is kinda hard to get if you suck at what you do.

you cant honestly say that its not the students fault for failing, nine time out of ten.

[QUOTE="LZ71"][QUOTE="frannkzappa"]

I'm guessing you don't have a masters in anything, right?

frannkzappa

no but a masters level education is kinda hard to get if you suck at what you do.

you cant honestly say that its not the students fault for failing, nine time out of ten.

no but a masters level education is kinda hard to get if you suck at what you do.frannkzappa

[QUOTE="frannkzappa"]

[QUOTE="LZ71"] I didn't realize college professors made up 99% of teachers. LZ71

no but a masters level education is kinda hard to get if you suck at what you do.

you cant honestly say that its not the students fault for failing, nine time out of ten.

they always have the text book to fall back on, and its not like there arent 1 places in every school where they could get help if they looked for it.

1 thing

no child left behind bill.

This bill is complete joke that forces the teachers to follow a strict guideline and allows NO freedom to advanced in education for the students that can.

The test that everyone has to take is a joke. I have a learning disability. takes me 3 times read half the crap, grammar is bad as hell, math is a pain. yet i pass all those test on the first go with no issue.

[QUOTE="frannkzappa"]no but a masters level education is kinda hard to get if you suck at what you do.Zeviander

what was your major?

[QUOTE="frannkzappa"]no but a masters level education is kinda hard to get if you suck at what you do.Zeviander

[QUOTE="Fightingfan"]A true genius doesn't need college.Zeviander

Education is too general. Students show their acedemic strengths by the time they enter Junior High (Middle School) and it's here we should be allowing them to explore the subjects they excel at and help them become more proficient with the ones they don't.

This is exactly what private schools do, and that's why students in private schools peform so much better. If you treat every kid the same regardless of their strengths and abilities you're going to get students of average education, as those who could have excelled at X or Y are held back by those who cannot.

br0kenrabbit

I admit I suck arse at math...I mean really bad....

I suck arse at math...I mean really bad....Ballroompirate

It needs a larger focus on skills and teaching students how to think, not what to think. Memorizing facts and dates, etc doesn't help you in the long run, you need analytical skills, logic, etc. Facts and some data help, but i found way too many of my courses in life simply spent too much time getting the class to regurgitate facts from memorization and not about problem solving or what have you.

[QUOTE="Ballroompirate"] . I say this because I excel in math as long as I have someone who can present it in a way a child could comprehend it. Some people just over complicate things. Fightingfan

how does that work with calculus and above?

I was a special ed kid from K thru 12. I didn't feel it was discriminatory. It was actually a little fun. :P

I don't think so. Kids are given every chance to succeed, but in the end it's up to the students to seize those opportunities.

I think a fare amount of the blame should be on the parents...

chilly-chill

[QUOTE="frannkzappa"]no but a masters level education is kinda hard to get if you suck at what you do.Zeviander

[QUOTE="Zeviander"][QUOTE="frannkzappa"]no but a masters level education is kinda hard to get if you suck at what you do.kingkong0124

they always have the text book to fall back on, and its not like there arent 1 places in every school where they could get help if they looked for it.

frannkzappa

You mean the textbook that says that:

"Fifteenth Amendment Constitutional amendment that guaranteed voting rights to all citizens" - Women were not included, that came with the 19th amendment.

"1492 Columbus first reaches North America." Columbus never sat foot in nor did he ever see North America.

"The Judiciary Act of 1789 provided for a Supreme Court ." -No...The Constitution did so.

"In 1688 the English Parliament removed King James II from the throne." - King James was not removed, he abdicated.

And so on...

I was a special ed kid from K thru 12. I didn't feel it was discriminatory. It was actually a little fun. :P

gamerguru100

[QUOTE="frannkzappa"]

they always have the text book to fall back on, and its not like there arent 1 places in every school where they could get help if they looked for it.

br0kenrabbit

You mean the textbook that says that:

"Fifteenth Amendment Constitutional amendment that guaranteed voting rights to all citizens" - Women were not included, that came with the 19th amendment.

"1492 Columbus first reaches North America." Columbus never sat foot in nor did he ever see North America.

"The Judiciary Act of 1789 provided for a Supreme Court ." -No...The Constitution did so.

"In 1688 the English Parliament removed King James II from the throne." - King James was not removed, he abdicated.

And so on...

you'll still pass the test at least, and if you really care you an go more in depth.

what was your major?frannkzappa

[QUOTE="Ballroompirate"] I suck arse at math...I mean really bad....Fightingfan

I'm reading Algebra for Dummies

It's hard :cry: and I don't even want to try calculus

[QUOTE="kingkong0124"][QUOTE="Zeviander"] Considering that a Masters degree is a bare-minimum requirement these days for any "career", I'd say that statement is false. I lazed my way through a B.A. and still ended up with a 3.3 GPA. Had I actually applied myself and done the work to the best of my ability, I'd probably have graduated with a B.S. with a 4.0 GPA.Fightingfan

So you know your stuff better? GPA helps out in graduate school too.

[QUOTE="frannkzappa"]what was your major?Zeviander

dude, no duh college was easy for you then.

[QUOTE="gamerguru100"]

I was a special ed kid from K thru 12. I didn't feel it was discriminatory. It was actually a little fun. :P

chilly-chill