<p>I don’t think you understand how much Asian nations focus on test scores. That is their admissions process often : what score did you get on xxxx standardized test.</p>
<p>What I find so interesting is that the two schools which are tied at the top for education - Finland and South Korea - are so drastically different.</p>
<p>South Korea, like China and Japan, are extremely focused on scores, as @foolish says. They essentially go to school not once, but twice every day - there’s normal high school, and then they attend hagwon (cram school) until late. A typical student may study 12 hours every day. As one student said, “There is no time to think about your future.” They also have a tragically high suicide rate, especially among teenagers. In 2011 (I believe), South Korea was reported as having the second highest youth suicide rate among OECD nations. Reports vary widely on this, but taking a rough average, studies show that about 1 in every 6 students in South Korea have considered suicide.</p>
<p>Finland is the opposite. Students don’t really take tests or have homework until they are in their mid-late teens. Elementary schoolers have an average of 75 minutes of recess per day. Teachers have time for professional development and discussion built into their weekly schedules. In general, their system is much more organic and gentler with the students. This may sound like the touchy-feely type of education that doesn’t actually teach anything, but, as the rankings show, it really, really works.</p>
<p>In short, we should take America and turn it into Finland, educationally</p>
<p>@LAMuniv - There are quite a few things aside from education that America could learn from Finland, haha. Scandinavia and the rest of Northern Europe seem to have figured out how to exist on this earth perfectly. </p>
<p>At the end of the day, there’s really only one thing that determines how great a country is…</p>
<p>…Their record in wars. FREEDOM FIGHTERS BABY!</p>
<p>@preamble1776 Oh certainly! I am your classic socialist, Scandinavian-loving American, haha. I just didn’t want to start a political debate by suggesting that America adopt the Nordic model :P</p>
<p>@sunsh0wers lol thank you!</p>
<p>I don’t even think it’s just Asia that’s hung up on test scores btw, I think it’s just the eastern parts of the world overall. My mom’s from Kenya and she told me there was literally one exam she took senior year before coming to America that would make or break her future. Literally.
I like that America isn’t as strict about testing like that because it’s truly unfair that someone can spend their entire life working hard in school, but because of reasons outside of their control, they’re not ready as ready for the exam as they should be (which is by the way REALLY HARD). My mom saw it happen, and it’s a waste of people’s talents and abilities.</p>
<p>Idk about “joke” as in it is a laughing stock, but it has serious issues and a system which (to me) sounds like a compromise between hard core parenting philosophy, hippie parenting, and income inequality issues. </p>
<p>Regarding OECD scores, a common argument to refute them is pointing out that if you included only schools with les than 10% poverty, we would be #1. (Then again, what would we look like if all countries tested the wealthier schools. ) </p>
<p>An education advocate named Alfie Kohn wrote this really good essay about our desire to be #1 and why it’s pushing us in the wrong direction <a href=“http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/edweek/sbm.htm”>http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/edweek/sbm.htm</a></p>
<p>Alfie is one of the biggest advocates for progressive education. Where I live (Silicon Valley), a few progressive schools have popped up as a rejection of the traditional system (but also as a parents rejection of having unmotivated, obnoxious kids for their kid’s classmate.</p>
<p>Regarding the point about us being complacent compared to the 50s. One must judge our triumphs vs our crimes and wonder if they still makes us a positive nation. I’ve become skeptical.</p>
<p>Anyways, my experiences with the average ‘bland’ person give me the impression that most people don’t even know a lot of modern facts about this country. They’re just getting by, eating, sleeping, etc.</p>
<p>~ftf</p>
<p>I think the American education system gives you plenty of opportunities for redemption. Other systems direct underperforming students to trade schools or out of their system altogether. In America, students are always provided similar opportunities throughout high school and somewhat in college. I believe that is why our scores are so low. We are comparing all of our students with the best of other countries. Lastly, I have heard Indians and Chinese students say that the American students are by far the most creative. Something has to account for the reason we invent most of the major technological trends.</p>
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<p>@frugaldoctor The US still utilizes tracking to some degree (math tracks, etc).</p>
<p>Oops, forgot to add:</p>
<p>Finland has all-inclusive education, and are still ranked number 1 (ie they’re not only judging the students that weren’t “cut” from high school): “The Finnish strategy for achieving equality and excellence in education has been based on constructing a publicly funded comprehensive school system without selecting, tracking, or streaming students during their common basic education.”</p>
<p>Scores on the OECD or PISA tests don’t mean anything, the US education system is the best in the world. I suppose you can argue that Norway/Finland/Denmark have better education systems, but those that say Korea and China are better are simply delusional. I’m a black teen from a poor immigrant family, and I still have a shot at educational success in the USA. If I were to live in China, there would be no hope for me. Asian schools, with the exclusion of maybe Singapore, UAE, and Qatar, are plagued with corruption, nepotism, and a culture of cramming all night for tests. In the USA, higher education is based solely on merit. In Asia and Europe, practices I mentioned above are considered more than personal achievement. Ever heard of holistic admissions? That’s an American phenomenon, not Asian or European. Even the best European schools like the London School of Economics or the University of Copenhagen don’t believe in holistic admissions. Anyways, that was just my 2¢ worth</p>
<p>Is there no cramming in the US? No, there is certainly cramming. American students are even proud of cramming. (ever heard of procrastination?) They boast of having studied so little.</p>
<p>Afroninja26, don’t even talk about Asian and European education if you don’t know anything about them. </p>
<p>As far as the United States is concerned, I believe we do a lot of things right, but we also do a lot of things wrong. I thing the ‘No Child Left Behind’ is great because it pushes everyone to have the opportunities to life a fulfilling life. However, i believe it brings down a lot of the students who are generally more passionate and dedicated in school. Those who work hard and generally do better in school are forced to hold back their potential so the others can catch up (this is especially true in elementary-aged students). There needs to be some way that students can progress at their own level and not be limited to the basic requirements of the grade level standards. (For example, when I was in Kindergarten, there were many students who were just learning their ABC’s and 123’s. But there were a few of us who were already reading chapter books and doing multiplication. There needs to be some way to separate these types of students.) I know there are private schools where this occurs, but most students don’t have access to those. </p>
<p>In highschool, the idea behind CP, honors, and AP level classes is a better one. There is oftentimes corruption between them, having students in honors when they shouldn’t be and inflated grades and such, but the idea behind it is a step in the right direction.</p>
<p>I don’t know the correct answer into how I handle our school system (i doubt there really is one) but I feel like there can always be improvements that will benefit all types of students. </p>
<p>Yeah, no. This education system sucks!! Some teachers (I have first hand experience) will give their favorite student an A they don’t deserve (by curving only their test scores) in order to raise their passing rate!!! Instead of the hard working B student who struggles and does homework every night. Such bull imo</p>
<p>I’ve worked so hard on my GPA yet my class valedictorian asks to copy my hw every other night. VALEDICTORIAN!!</p>
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<p>Let alone Western VA in the Appalachian mountains - I doubt Fincastle gets much financial help at all.</p>
<p>I think the worst part of the American school system is how it works for some people but not others. My brother is the creative type, but not very organized. He is basically graded on how well he can manage his time and keep stuff together, which is not very good at. He is so much smarter than I am, but I get better grades because my learning style works with the American system of learning. He gets B’s and C’s, although being super smart, because his learning style does not mesh with the American system.</p>
<p>That is the real problem, IMO.</p>
<p>IIRC Many countries are starting to model their education systems after that of America’s; I think Taiwan recently added an essay portion to their high school entrance exams because they’re looking for people who can think for themselves and form opinions.</p>
<p>Also Japan recently reduced their school weeks from 6 days to 5 days. I think they realized that more school =/= better.</p>
<p>@dextrous there most certainly is cramming in the USA, but do Americans cram for tests like the PISA and OECD? No, because it doesn’t affect their grade. Also, American students don’t cram for small quizzes that bear little weight, but students at Asian schools will. American students will cram for maybe an hour or two for a test, but Asian students will often cram for entire days. </p>
<p>Believe me, I have knowledge of the European school system(s). Everybody in my family went to school in Europe, I’ve read books exclusively about European education, and I regularly read the European students forum here on CC. I don’t know as much about the Asian education system(s), but I’ve read countless news articles and books about them. I don’t blindly post on a thread without any knowledge of the subject matter at hand</p>
<p>@imagineer10 I disagree, No Child Left Behind is one of the reasons this country’s education system is “bad.” It brought upon a standardized testing craze that had made school all about tests as opposed to about learning</p>
<p>I’ve gone to public schools in countries other than the US. I don’t think American education is a joke. It’s got problems (mainly that the academic standards the government sets are way too low and higher education is way too expensive), but if you really want to succeed and work for it, no matter who you are, then you will attain at least a moderate degree of success. </p>
<p>I’m a lower middle class, first-generation immigrant, and a female person of color who goes to a so-so school. In most of the world, it’d be game over for me before the game even started. Here, I have at least a chance, and a pretty good chance at that.</p>