Reality Bites!!

I heard a horrible thing during the presidential debate last night.... My country (the US) spends more per capita (for each person) on education than any other country and yet our children's test scores on maths, reading, and I believe writing as a whole are lower than almost any other country..... how fricking sad is that????

I sure hope our next president can change that!! but of course it takes help from the parents too!! I'm just so saddened by this statistic and makes me almost ashamed to be an American when our children are not being educated properly!

It is amazing to think that isn't it when you consider the money and resources available. What is the world coming to?

Funds don't make the child smarter. The willing to learn and proper teaching does. The Canadian government dumps lots of money into education and funding for students, too, and there are some adults who don't know how to read. I know this because I used to know a girl who doesn't read and her attitude towards books is a sign she has no intentions of learning how.
This unwillingness to learn is not normal and could be result of a mental illness gone unnoticed. There is a growing awarness of the lack of resources to treat and help people with mental illnesses. I think the illiteracy and such is just the tip of the ice burg of the amount of problems there are in the education system due to ignoring these peoples problems.
Also, kids are being outright labled when they do have peoblem causing the kids to have a sense of hoplessness.

psychologist - "You have ADHD. Take these pills and we'll talk about your future later. Right now just try to do your best."

patient - "I'll get better right"

"You may get better you may get worse. We'll see later"

Doesn't sound to optimistic does it?

glowingsun said:
Funds don't make the child smarter. The willing to learn and proper teaching does. The Canadian government dumps lots of money into education and funding for students, too, and there are some adults who don't know how to read. I know this because I used to know a girl who doesn't read and her attitude towards books is a sign she has no intentions of learning how.
This unwillingness to learn is not normal and could be result of a mental illness gone unnoticed. There is a growing awarness of the lack of resources to treat and help people with mental illnesses. I think the illiteracy and such is just the tip of the ice burg of the amount of problems how ignoring problems like this effects the education system.

That is so true that funds don't make the child smarter, but it should help toward better resources for educating our kids and also for dealing with kids with mental illnesses and learning disabilities.

We also (atleast in the US) are far behind other countries in early childhood education.... it is not required for children to go to pre-school or headstart here before they enter kindergarten.... I can't imagine how much of a struggle it must be for those kids whose parents couldn't afford private pre-school when they start kindergarten. Aaralyn's school has a headstart program but I didn't live over there so I had to pay for private pre-school. Not all schools in the US have the funding for headstart and I think it should be mandetory!!

*sorry had to edit my post last minute*

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but it should help toward better resources for educating our kids and also for dealing with kids with mental illnesses and learning disabilities.

Funding does offer more opportunities for exploration and discovery.

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We also (atleast in the US) are far behind other countries in early childhood education.... it is not required for children to go to pre-school or headstart here before they enter kindergarten....

This is probably where the U.S and Canada are on a different scale. Preschool here is highly reccomended and only cost a small annual fee. There are preschool/kindergarten mixed classes and individual preschool classes. The only problem is that not all schools offer full day classes for preschool and kindergarten and you don't always have a garaunteed choice to pick a school.
But on the other hand, if it costs very little or nothing at all you can't complain. Plus it still helps.

we have government funded places for our LO's to go to preschool from the first term after their 3rd birthday until they start primary (kindergarten) they can have up to 5 sessions a week paid. If you want your child to start before this or you want to send them to a private pre-school you have to pay yourself though. We are obviously lucky, i never really realised that other countries would have to pay for private preschool education? It never really entered my head tbh. xx

Our children can also attend pre school twice a week for three hours per session they start from 4 or 6 months (i cant remember).If you are on benifits the sessions oly cost $3.00 a session or $5.50 with no concession.When the child turns 3 they go into pre entry two half days a week then when they are four they are in full time kindy either two full days 9am till 3:30pm or four half days.Then they go to school when they turn 5.
Vic started pre school (occasional care) when he was 12 months and he is way ahead of my nephew who is already 5 he started kindy when he was 4 so i guess it goes to show that the earlier they start the better.
I also spend alot of time practicing reading and writing with my son at least once a day.
I think over all we get alot of assistance over here.

Here everyone starts school at 4 and we leave at 15/16, school is typically 9am-3:30pm. We have free pre-school, but thats optional.
Until recently I taught in East England we had an American teacher and I was quite shocked by the schooling system, turns out what we do at the ages 16-18 is at a higher level than what americans do at 18-21/college level. I knew our system worked faster, but I didn't realise how much. He moved here when he got married and had to attend British education starting from GCSE's which we do at 14-16. I would of thought everyone would leave with certain standards in America though as you graduate highschool, where as we just leave after our last lesson whether we pass our GCSE's or not.
You would of thought most countries would be at a similar level by now as so many jobs are transnational, its quite important for qualifications to be recognised outside your own country. Though I found out because I have a UK masters it is the equivalent to a US Phd, I found that quite funky.

To be honest though I think we teach too much fact at school so we don't have time for other things, you can ask alot of students academic questions and they answer perfectly, ask them about right and left wing politics, or how to pay a bill and they look at you dumb struck.

I think the UK spends a good amount on education, but in the wrong places, like making teachers take three days off to learn how to lift a box, while substitute teachers are filling your place back at school, teaching nothing and earning an absolute bomb. Also courses in how to cross a road and the best way to use a pelican crossing. It's very scary that people so out of touch are controlling what we teach really.

Saying that though I do like the British education system, since Mikey started in January he has absolutely loved it, if it was me in charge of 15 four year olds I would probably go mad, where as his teacher has them all reading, writing and counting without their bums being on chairs or them being stuck at a desk. Here not many children go to pre-school and most pre-schools don't teach, more of a play school really, but it doesn't hold anyone back in the slightest.

I'm not so sure that the education in England is much better. I meet so many children now who have been diagnosed with some kind of learning difficulty or other - can that really be the case or is it just an excuse to cover failing education statistics?

What do you think?
Julie 🙂