7: Education
It seems paradoxical that foreigners speak critically of the American educational system, yet so often aspire to get for themselves or their children an American education. The author relates attitudes of Malaysian students, who speak critically of the quality of educational system in America, but who yet seek admission because they marvel at American achievements and conclude: "there must be something right about your system."
The author focuses his approach: he will not focus on the structure or history of the educational system, but instead on American attitudes toward education and the values of the educational system itself.
GUIDING IDEALS
Americans believe that it is generally good for as many people to have access to as much education as possible. Even students who are not particularly intelligent, suffer from disabilities, are from poor families, and even those who don't speak English are served by their educational system.
This generally derives from the principle of equality, but it does not guarantee entrance to a specific school: admission to "ivy league" colleges or "magnet" schools is highly selective and competitive. However, there are many schools, and it's generally the case that virtually anyone can find an institution that will accept them, even if their academic credentials are unremarkable.
Every state offers public primary and secondary schooling, and have compulsory attendance laws to require children to a certain age to attend (generally 16, but up to 18 in some states).
As a result, more than 93% of Americans had completed at least nine years of schooling, more than 84% had completed high school, and 27% had a bachelors or postgraduate degree. This contributes to the perception that American schools are not very demanding and Americans are not as well educated compared to foreign students: in nations where students do not have a right to an education, and many of the less promising students are prevented even from attending, thus the comparison of averages is not an equal match. (EN: I recall seeing in an article that it was a comparison between the top 20% of foreign students and the top 90% of American ones.)
However, education is not standardized: there is no examination such as there is in the traditional British system, where students must pass a standard test in order to advance through the system (EN: some states have adopted them.) There are standardized tests for admission to college and certain graduate programs (SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT, LSAT, etc.)
A second ideal underlying the American system is the goal of producing a society that is 100% literate - hence the compulsory attendance laws in many states that require students to remain through at least grammar school. This is based on the notion that teaching methods are effective and students are attentive, so the 100% goal may be unattainable. (EN: A quick seach turns up statistics that vary from 96% to 99% adult literacy in the US.)
A third ideal is one of providing comparable educational programs to everyone, regardless of gender, race, income, or disability. In the public educational system, it is typical for course content and textbooks to be standardized in public schools - however, it can be observed that in economically disadvantaged areas, it is a struggle to meet state standards or to provide learning aids beyond the very basic.
Fourth, the American educational system is based on local control. There is no national ministry of education - and while there is a national Department of Education, it has no direct authority over schools. Schools are largely administered by local boards of education within communities, under the guidance and supervision of a state board. However, there are few states that seek to regulate postsecondary education and each university operates independently. There are independent organizations that grant credentials, but their requirements tend to be high-level, and there is some limited attempt by professional organizations to certify educational programs.
Fifth, many primary and secondary schools solicit parental involvement. There are periodic parent-teacher conferences and many schools have an advisory Parent and Teachers' Association to facilitate community involvement. Parents are expected to help children with homework, keep track of assignments and deadlines, and support extracurricular activities. It's noted that this is not common in other counties, in which the parent is not party to the relationship between teacher and student.
There is some incidence of overzealous parental involvement. The term "helicopter parent" is used for a parent who is constantly hovering over their child and intervening in any situation affecting their child. This is a particular problem in postsecondary education, as students are supposed to take on more independence and settle their own affairs - and particularly so because the student is legally an adult after the age of 18, and the parent has no "right" to interfere and the university must be attentive to matters of confidentiality (even though the interloper is a parent, and even though they are generally paying the tuition).
A sixth ideal is the belief that there is yet much more that can be discovered than is known. While primary and secondary education focus on students memorizing and applying existing knowledge, and the first few years of college education are largely the same, college upper classmen and graduate students in most fields of study are expected to contribute to the field of knowledge by discovering new information or deriving new ways of understanding or interpreting information, and the role of a professor shifts more toward mentoring and guidance than dispensing knowledge.
Foreign students whose educational background consists largely of memorization and reverent acceptance of the teacher's words often face difficulty in the American system: they are unaccustomed to arguing with an authority figure or expressing thoughts and ideas that are not already in general acceptance.
This difference, like many others, is derivative of individualism and equality: students are encouraged to think for themselves, question authority, and ultimately develop "a mind of their own." American professors are generally impressed by a student who challenges accepted knowledge and argues for a unique point of view - whereas in other cultures, this is seen as disrespectful and disruptive.
Finally, American education seeks to turn out "well-rounded people." It is typical for a university program to require students to take a broad variety of courses in various subjects and understand an array of fields of study. While students ultimately specialize in one particular discipline (their "major" field of study), they are expected to be conversant on a variety of subjects and, in most colleges, to have a secondary specialization (their "minor" field of study). In other systems, the specialization in a specific field occurs earlier, and students do not develop as broad a knowledge base (thought it is argued that they tend to go "deeper" into their chosen field of study).
Being well-rounded also extends beyond the classroom, to nonacademic "co-curricular" activities organized by the college (generally, with a faculty advisor) as well as "extracurricular" activities that are organized and operated by students, and which the college does not administer and may or may not support. Students are encouraged to participate in school club, sports, or service activities - and in some schools, participation is required for graduating.
(EN: The author does not mention the social aspect of college education, which is often dismissed as being idleness, mischief, and debauchery that distracts from the purpose of college - but it's generally accepted that "campus life," including the less distinguished aspects, is a key part of the process. I'm not entirely convinced of this argument, but I have the sense there is enough merit to it that it should not go entirely unmentioned.)
SOCIAL FORCES AFFECTING AMERICAN EDUCATION
American K-12 teachers believe that they do not enjoy a sufficiently high status in American society, and a New York Times survey indicated high-school teachers were ranked 34th among other occupations, elementary-school teachers ranked 45th, and kindergarten teachers ranked 100th. College and university professors ranked 25th in the same study. A common attitude is that "those who can't do teach," indicating the belief that teachers are unqualified for "real" work, and professors in particular are stereotyped as being in an ivory tower, detached from reality.
Even within the academic community, students pursuing teaching degrees are near the bottom of the status hierarchy, and are "looked down upon by most others within academia."
There is also little reverence for students, as education is practically universal and it's typical, rather than remarkable, for a person under the age of 18 to be a student, and college education is fairly common in most circles, and even graduate students are rarely accorded special respect.
(EN: I'm not sure what the author means or expects by "special" respect, but my sense is that a young adult pursuing a postsecondary degree is granted a bit more esteem, though it's generally by his elders who have completed college themselves. Adults who are not college graduates seem to take an air of resentment toward college students - which doesn't qualify as respect, but conveys the acknowledgement that they recognize the student is esteemed.)
Another social factor affecting education, specifically public education, is the amount of resources devoted to its support. Education competes with other public services that need money, and while politicians speak much about the value of education, budget cuts to educational programs are commonplace and most educators and citizens believe education to be severely under-funded. (EN: A quick search shows that the national average, per the 2008 census, was that state and local government spent 29% of their budget on education and an average of $10,259 per student. This doesn't strike me as meager, though I don't disagree that public opinion is as the author suggests.)
Politics is another social factor that influences education, particularly in special-interest campaigns that object to what is taught in schools, or suggest what should be on the school curriculum. Parents are especially vocal about the topics that are taught in local school systems, and elected members of school boards must accommodate public sentiment, though it's reasoned that "the degree to which political conflicts is manifested in educational institutions ... is probably minimal."
American students are generally non-political, though small groups of students periodically engage in "attention-getting activities" (demonstrations and protests) to support their views on major social and political issues. (EN: The general perception, however, is that these are just "kids acting up" and there is the notion that political demonstrators, college or otherwise, are often involved in politics as a social activity rather than acting on genuine motives.)
Another social force affecting the educational system is anti-intellectualism. While Americans generally value education and consider it a method of self-improvement, there is the notion that education is impractical and does not teach "real" skills - that is, that the knowledge gained in education is highly esoteric does not qualify students to do "anything useful." (EN: A common phrase contrasts "book learning" to "real knowledge")
In general, fields of study that lead to a clear profession (engineering, medicine, and business) are prioritized above more intellectually oriented subjects (philosophy, literature, and art), the latter of which are seen as a "waste of time" on non-productive subjects.
Socially, a person who excels in academics is very often derided or stigmatized - not only by the uneducated but even by fellow students who are less successful - and there is public distrust of any individual who seems to be "too" educated. Even political candidates must be careful about cultivating a public image of someone who is very smart.
(EN: I wouldn't entirely disagree with the latter, but feel it stems specifically from the 2000 elections - and my sense is that the difficulty Al Gore had was not that people didn't respect his intelligence, but that he projected an attitude of arrogance and smugness toward his opponent which conveyed a sense of contempt for the common man. Offending the American sense of egalitarianism is unwise, especially for a politician, on whom people must count to ensure equal treatment from government.)
ISSUES FACING AMERICAN SCHOOLS
Education, like other social institutions, is subject to constant controversy about one issue or another. This is more poignant in relation to K-12 education and publicly funded schools, as they are expected to be accountable to the public of voters and taxpayers, but some issues involve private and postsecondary institutions.
These issues change over time, and wax and wane in the level of discourse. A list of recent controversies is presented:
- Are textbooks biased, or being used as tools to manipulate facts to support a specific political agenda that is not widely accepted?
- Should books, particularly fiction literature, that contain explicit language, adult themes, or violence be assigned in classes or even available in school libraries?
- Should religion be taught in public schools, even a religious viewpoint on a given topic (creationism vs. evolution), or should students in be permitted to engage in religious activities (prayer) or wear religious emblems and garb on school property?
- Can schools celebrate or even acknowledge holidays, even nationally acknowledged holidays, that have religious origins?
- What should students be taught about American history - specifically, the way in which minorities, women, and homosexuals are portrayed in historical eras when society was less egalitarian?
- What measures should be taken to ensure that schools in poorer districts offer opportunities and facilities reasonable similar to those offered in wealthier areas?
- What measures should be taken to accommodate children of immigrants, especially in terms of supporting those who are not native speakers of English?
- What is the proper balance between general education in esoteric subjects and more job-specific training?
- What level of resources should be spent by a school on non-academic or extracurricular activities (especially sports)?
- What is the proper balance between providing assistance for students with special needs versus incorporating them into regular classes? (EN: This is often considered for students at both extremes - those who have difficulty and those who excel.)
- On the university level, how can the institution prevent faculties from having conflicts of interest when they receive grants from corporations or private organizations, in terms of maintaining objectivity of scholarship and teaching?
In general, these issues do not influence the day-to-day education received by students, but it is not uncommon for schools to institute policies or add courses or lectures that address the politics of the day.
Also, because the system is decentralized and subject to local control, such issues are rarely ever settled - they pop up in different places at different times, and are not addressed in a consistent manner.
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
From the description above, some of the advantages and disadvantages of the American education system can be identified:
- The system provides education for a relatively large portion of the population, but the quality of education is not as high as in systems where people are excluded because of their perceived aptitude.
- The focus on a "well rounded" scholar gives American students greater breadth of education, but often less depth than systems in which students are rigidly specified in a narrow discipline
- Decentralization insulates educational institutions from national political entanglements, but makes it difficult to implement or control education from a central governing body
And finally, that the American educational system, like any other, is subject to the culture of the surrounding society. The American ideas about equality, individualism , and freedom underlie their educational system, which is the source of many of the advantages and disadvantages when compared to the educational system of other cultures.