America’s mis-education
During some “free time” this weekend, I read through a 376-page document put together by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development titled “Education at a Glance, 2002 Indicators.” The OECD provides statistical information on a wide range of issues taken from 30 participating countries, including the United States. The previously mentioned document is an exhaustive look at systems of education and related issues from around the world. I was prompted to read through this article due to my own disgust with America’s rapidly declining focus on education. After studying the document, I realized how right I was.
In the following paragraphs, I will provide a very concise synopsis of the document, paying specific attention to the sections concerning general literacy, mathematical and scientific literacy and economics. I will remind the reader that this is merely a glance at this truly comprehensive document.
In regards to general literacy, the OECD divides ability into five different levels: 1 being the lowest, five being the highest (the ability to form conclusions, pose hypotheses, etc.) In terms of level five, the highest level of reading, the United States tied for ninth place among 15-year-olds in 2000. At level three, the average reading ability, the United States placed 23rd. The countries ahead of the United States include Finland, Korea, Japan, Australia and Iceland.
In terms of what the OECD calls mathematical and scientific literacy, the United States holds ninth place again, well below the likes of Canada, Finland, Iceland, Korea and Japan.
I would like to insert a bit of outside information here and state that students in some non-OECD countries, such as India, are often two to three years ahead of American students in math and science courses. Therefore, an eighth grade American student might be doing the math work a fifth grader is doing elsewhere.
Of the many and varied factors the OECD studies in order to be as thorough as possible, the factor of variation is perhaps the most interesting. By variation, the OECD suggests how students vary in performance from school to school; as well as how students vary in performance within the same school. In terms of this “variation” study, the United States maintains a relatively high level of variation in both studies. Some schools, as we all know, are better than others. Moreover, students receive varying levels of education within the same schools.
This seems to reflect the American public education system fairly well. In public high schools, for example, accelerated programs for “high scoring” students exist which match or out-match programs at selective private schools. Teachers in accelerated public high school programs often have a masters or even a doctorate degree.
The “regular” public high school program is at the opposite extreme. Teachers themselves are undereducated and do not care. Students are herded through like livestock, gaining a mediocre education from a mediocre system.
So, how does money work into all of this? The OECD divides education into three stages: primary (kindergarten – eighth grade), secondary (high school or lycée) and tertiary. The average expenditure per year per student among OECD countries at each level is, respectively: US$4,229, US$5,174 and US$11,422. These figures equal, on average, 20 percent of the Gross Domestic Product per capita. Of course, as one might imagine, these numbers do not relate the differences in buying power from one currency to the next; however, they provide the most accurate study possible.
How fares the U.S. of A.? Believe it or not, the United States is above average in every single study. The United States spends more per student, per year, per educational level than almost all other countries in the OECD. At the tertiary level (university), the United States spends almost US$8,000 more than the OECD average. (This seems to correlate fairly well with the European understanding that American schools are terrible until one goes to university.) Furthermore, even the US GDP ratio remains above average. Therefore, even in comparison to European countries, the United States is forking over a large portion of its money to education. What does this mean?
Well, let’s go back to our 15-year-old student. Based on all the above information, our education system is at fault. It is not a matter of money, because we are giving as much or more money to the education of our students. It is our schools themselves. It is our educational system. It is our teachers. This is startling news, I agree.
The United States, economically and militarily the most powerful nation on the planet, is producing the “averagest” students on the planet. What does this say about us? What does this say about the importance we place on other ventures? If we cannot read, if we cannot speak intelligently, if we cannot relate to the rest of the world in terms of our educational experience, how are we supposed to lead? If the United States is so resolute in its protection of the American way, what, in fact, are we protecting? Our right to be stupid? I hope not.
I urge each of you to visit the OECD Web site at www.sourceoecd.org.
