[JTN]

"Stupid in America" airs tonight.

[JTN]

Ping

[snarks_when_bored]

Stupid in America -- Why your kids are probably dumber than Belgians

American parents bear a lot of the blame. Many have bought into the idea that self-esteem is somehow unrelated to self-respect, and have emphasized the former rather than the latter in rearing their kids. That true self-esteem can arise only out of self-respect, and that self-respect can arise only out of hard work and self-discipline, are facts that would appear to have escaped their notice.

So much the worse for us and our posterity...

[sassbox]

On the other hand, do we really want to emulate Belgium? I've heard many times about how European students out perform American students in pretty much every subject. Well what good has it done them? Their economies are going down the toilet and they ceased to be meaningful world powers long ago. If trends continue, Europe will be mostly Muslim by mid-century. Europeans may be well educated but they aren't exactly smart.

There are many things that should be done to improve education in the US. But please let's not emulate Europe. They are a dying civilization - better seen as a warning of what not to do than as a positive role model.

[garbanzo]

"Stupid in America" airs tonight.

It'll be watched by no one and nothing will change. I'm no tinfoil-hatter, but you almost have to assume that our education system is the way it is for a reason. It's pretty much designed to create generation after generation of mindless drones who will do exactly what they're told, exercise no creativity, and will not question authority.

[Fresh Wind]

This is awful. We have to spend much more money on education. They have the right idea in the new high school they built in my area, with it's indoor olympic size swimming pool, and plasma TV screens in the hallways.

[G.Mason]

Stupid in America airs every night.

[Vaquero]

the NEA and the Dims should rot in hell for what they are doing to our children.

(BTW, my kid are brilliant and the average Belgian couldn't hold a candle to them....in spite of, not because of, their public school education.)

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Marked for some commentary after work.

[mo]

someday...somewhere...somehow...someone needs to run the NEA through the RICO wringer and prosecute accordingly......

[Rhetorical pi2]

My daughter taught in three different states - Georgia, Connecticut, and Tennessee.

She said of all three systems that the biggest obstacle to improved education was the teachers union.

[Larry Lucido]

Well, there are some smart Belgians out there.

[Mobilemitter]

"If people got to choose their kids' school, education options would be endless. There could soon be technology schools, cheap Wal-Mart-like schools, virtual schools where you learn at home on your computer, sports schools, music schools, schools that go all year, schools with uniforms, schools that open early and keep kids later, and, who knows? If there were competition, all kinds of new ideas would bloom."

Why can't we grasp this? Why can't the American people see that a garden designed and maintained by the "state" is profitable only to birds and fertilizer companies. Birds because insects and weed seeds will prosper, fertilizer companies because the poorer the harvest the more the state demands. Until we submit such social fallacy to the tines of free market forces we shall continue to reap our well deserved harvest of blooming idiots.

If we don't have the constitution to deal with squawking birds and turd haulers, then we'll soon have no Constitution period.

[jimbo123]

This from the country whose only notable achievement is the Belgian Waffle.

[MNJohnnie]

Comparing 300 million Americans to 40 million Belgians is stupid. We have a larger sample OBVIOUSLY we will score worse.

[Tolik]

Nailed It!

This ping list is not author-specific for articles I'd like to share. Some for the perfect moral clarity, some for provocative thoughts; or simply interesting articles I'd hate to miss myself. (I don't have to agree with the author all 100% to feel the need to share an article.) I will try not to abuse the ping list and not to annoy you too much, but on some days there is more of the good stuff that is worthy of attention. You can see the list of articles I pinged to lately  on  my page.
You are welcome in or out, just freepmail me (and note which PING list you are talking about). Besides this one, I keep 2 separate PING lists for my favorite authors Victor Davis Hanson and Orson Scott Card.  

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

This article correctly points out problems with our educational system in the USA. Public education has been dumbed down. In the 6th grade, our geography class could name every country in the world on a map. I don't think students study geography that way any more.
Also, teachers have no power to discipline troublemakers.
Another problem this article dodged. What is the average IQ of American students. Read "The Bell Curve," and you can understand that our total student population is probably dumber than the Belgian population.

[Darnright]

Bump

[xzins]

No one ever addresses the fact that European schools take 2/3rds of the class out of high school and send them on career tracks in the trades.

When Americans get to the 8th grade let's take only the top third of the students, send them to a special high school and then compare the tests.

Our full population is competing against their top third. That would make a huge difference.

[randog]

A Gallup Poll survey shows 76 percent of Americans are either completely or somewhat satisfied with their kids' public school...

What do they have to compare their kids' education with? It's all relative.

[Eepsy]

Here are my current school choices for my soon-to-be five year old:

1. Public School, well reviewed, generously funded, hideous fuzzy math curriculum K-8 (Everyday Math). FREE.

2. Local Parish Scool. Fantastic academic curriculum. Bad, Catholic-Lite, Extra-Social-Justice-Hold-the-One-True-Church, mandatory catechism program. $2400 YEARLY

3. Private Catholic School. Two years old, twenty minute drive, Orthodox. Great across the board curriculum. So small it's two grades to a classroom teacher. $2500 YEARLY


sigh