| In the article titled “U.S. Teens Trail Peers | | | | questioning America’s future on account of its |
| Around World on Math-Science Test”, | | | | faulty education system. |
| Washington Post elaborates the state of US | | | | What are the causes behind the |
| students. CNN echoes the same in its article | | | | underperformance of US kids? Let us examine |
| named “U.S. students behind in math, science, | | | | them one at a time. |
| analysis says”. | | | | Teaching Methodology |
| These are just some of the articles that explain | | | | The way teachers teach Math and Science in |
| the growing concern among parents and | | | | schools in the US do not quite help kids develop |
| educators in the United States. Isn’t it ironical | | | | interest in these subjects. Compared to Asian |
| that a country that is the most developed in the | | | | nations, US schools do not teach ‘real’ |
| world fails to keep up with its counterparts as far | | | | math until children reach upper grades. |
| as the school educational system is concerned? | | | | Hatred for Math |
| A country’s future depends on the | | | | Ask any child in the US about his take on Math |
| development of its children. Someone has rightly | | | | and his expression would answer your question. |
| said “Our children are our only hope for the | | | | American kids fear Math. Again, this is due to their |
| future, but we are their only hope for their | | | | disinterest in Math, which is due to ‘established |
| present and their future”. The picture below | | | | prejudice’ and boring teaching techniques. |
| taken from one of the articles on The New York | | | | One Size Fit All approach of NCLB |
| Times is self explanatory: | | | | Standardized tests have worsened education |
| | | | system in the US. Unless we try to access the |
| According to the American Institutes for | | | | child’s problem solving process, we cannot |
| Research (AIR), the scores and rankings of 12 | | | | just measure his performance on the basis of |
| nations in the 2003 International Mathematics | | | | some tests. Children, each one of them, have |
| Assessments for Grades 4 and 8, US did not | | | | their own unique identity. Applying a one-for-all |
| stand anywhere close to the top (read | | | | test pattern can NEVER improve the education |
| US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan did not | | | | system. |
| shy from speaking the harsh truth in front of a | | | | Blame-Games between educators and parents, |
| room full of Math & Science experts of the | | | | educators and government make matter worse. |
| National Science Board “We are lagging the | | | | It is time parents and educators sit together and |
| rest of the world, and we are lagging it in pretty | | | | ponder over the current scenario and work out |
| substantial ways, I think we have become | | | | ways to improve the same. Last but not least, let |
| complacent. We've sort of lost our way”. | | | | us not sing to the tunes of the No Child Left |
| Developing nations like South Korea showed | | | | Behind Act. I am sure school administrators voice |
| better results in the tests. All these have not | | | | the same opinion. An Act that cannot do any |
| alarmed just the academia in the United States, | | | | good to the education system should not exist! |
| but also the business world that has started | | | | |