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What worries me the most is the way China, Hong Kong and Singapore's schools keep scoring so well against western schools. I have first hand experience of Hong Kong schools, and indirect experience of southern Chinese schools. The standards are not high. If western schools are worse than this, standards have seriously crashed since the 60s, when I was at school in the UK.
Having a kid in high school, I paid very close attention to education related issues. I can say for sure the standard have seriously crashed. We are focusing too much on "feel good" stuff rather than hard education.
When each State has it's standard, at least we have some States excelling. Massachusetts (MA) and California (CA) used to have the best standards (not saying they were meeting their own standards). Their kids had the chance of being better. Now we have central planing - Common Core, which will ensure no one excels. It was called "Race to the top" re-brand when it rolled out. Perhaps the nick name "race to the bottom" had something to do with re-branding. Compared to TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study), Common Core is dangerously inadequate.
Eleven States just took the financial penalty and withdrawn from Common Core. In Massachusetts, there was to be a ballot this November to leave common core. However, the ballot didn't make it to voting because of court ruling on some technicalities. Hopefully, Common Core will be history very soon not just for MA, but for all of the USA.
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'Drive' is key and the Chinese have that resource. Here in the USA, there is only a very, very tiny portion of the population that has drive. Mostly what I hear is the minimum wage is too low and everything costs too much. Too many are waiting for corrupt politicians to 'fix it'. Meanwhile - the Chinese are seriously busting a nut to get smarter and faster.
Not only do most of our (USA) kids lack drive, they also lack self-responsibility, lack self-esteem, lack ambition, and lack the awareness of the competition around them. I know 3 recent college graduates with absolutely no ambition in work or in career. Their ambition is in travel, smart phone, and showoff to their buddies they are now visiting such and such place. Their career goal is only as much as the cost of the next airline ticket or the cost of the next smart phone.
I think it is high time we redo college loan and federal aid. Not base on need alone, but instead focus on probability of success. Success criteria should include "can this kid support himself/herself majoring in
this!"
That said, some kids (not the majority) are busting their nuts to get smarter and faster - I know a few my self. Unfortunately, not the majority.