Let's talk about schools
by A.M. DonovanArticle Tools
I know, according to testing results for schools around the world, the United States ranks pretty low.
So, let's take a look at a couple of the higher ranking in scholastics countries.
Japan, always tests very high. The kids go to school, come home, do their homework, just like American kids. Right?
Wrong.
What most of us are unaware of is that after the regular school hours, the Japanese kids then go to another school. The name of it translates into something like the Cram School.
At this special school, the children don't learn how to figure out the answers, or how to think for themselves, they are, instead, taught how to memorize the correct answers. They literally cram the answers for tests. Understanding is not necessary.
That is just one country.
Now, Germany. Wonderful country. Inventors of kindergarten to start teaching children a little earlier.
Did you know that they have 3 different levels of schooling?
The level of schooling any child can get is determined by 2 things:
Testing done on all children on or about the 3rd grade
Where the family lives.
Let's examine the 2nd one first. It is actually a little easier to explain.
The schools do not get Federal funding (unlike America). So, if you happen to live on the family farm or in a small town, these communities cannot support the more expansive education programs. Unlike the large cities that have a larger tax base to support the schools.
So, even if your child does well in the testing in the 3rd grade, and would be eligible for advancing on to a University, if you live on a farm, or in a small town, the only way you could make this happen is if you were to have relatives in a large city who would be willing to take in your child from the 3rd grade until the end of their education. Most families are unwilling to send their children away for so long.
Now, the first determiner. The testing in 3rd grade.
There are 3 levels of schooling that are available, depending on these test results.
The first level the education is finished earlier (not 12 years) and is for the students that are destined to be farmers, janitors and various different lower level things like that.
The 2nd level of education available is for people that will be mechanics, hairdressers and things of that nature. It also includes a large amount of on the job training during school. So, yes, you come out of this already having experience in your job. But not trained for anything else. Due to this the hairdressers cannot change their career path later to become a mechanic. And the farmer or janitor level student cannot become a mechanic, due to the educational limitations.
The 3rd level of education is for the students that will be doctors, lawyers and such. This is the highest level of education. Available only to the students that placed very well in the 3rd grade testing, and live in large cities.
But, believe it or not, if a child is on the education track for doctor or lawyer, they cannot at a later time decide to become a mechanic. Because they didn't go to the right school!
So, the American education system might have some problems, and could be improved upon, but at least students from the smallest communities have the same chances as students in the biggest cities.
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