Since 1966, the U.S. government in the recognition that the education system was weak, adopted the increased funding into the system to ensure that the quality would improve. These changes although successful at the time have resulted in increased education costs by over 300%. The increased costs of gaining an education in the traditional primary and secondary school has not achieved the aimed long-term goals. The U.S. education is the 5 th highest among all countries in the OECD but the $2,973 per student is higher than the OECD average. Even at these high costs the U.S. stills ranks number 27, 17, and 20 in the world-class education system in math, reading, and science respectively as of 2013 PISA survey (THE EDITORIAL BOARD, 2013). The poor quality of education is due to the inefficiencies and poor education policies that dominate the U.S.
By analyzing the differences with some of the top performing countries such as Finland, Shanghai in China, Singapore, and Canada (Patrinos, 2013). Reviewing the dominating factors that makes such countries tick will enable understanding the necessary changes needed to improve our education system. Finland has dominated the first position as the best education system based on valuing the teachers. The country has eight university that trains teachers. The prestige of becoming a teacher is such a great profession that over 6600 top high school graduates compete for the 660 positions in the universities (THE EDITORIAL BOARD, 2013). The prestigious teaching profession in Finland is completely opposite to the U.S. disregard for primary and elementary teachers. The regard of teaching preparation program in the U.S. as “an industry of mediocrity” demonstrate that the training program is inadequate to reach the heights of the other OECD education systems.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Studies demonstrate that the guiding motto for the over 62,000 teachers in 3,500 schools is “Whatever it takes.” (THE EDITORIAL BOARD, 2013). The teachers are determined to help the poor students thus undertake different initiatives to help every student. Unlike the annual testing in the U.S., Finland has only two standardized tests and the teachers are determined to use cognitive studying methods to ensure that they pass information and knowledge to the students. The annual testing in the U.S. result in teachers teaching the students how to pass exams rather than gain knowledge and skills. Apart from the cognitive methods, Finnish education system enhances innovativeness and ensures that teachers are highly paid, work for fewer hours and are ensure that pupils have more playing time rather than stressing them with loads of homework (THE EDITORIAL BOARD, 2013). The U.S. education system is too demanding and overloads the students with homework leading to little or no time for play therefore students have no time to acquire or experiment their innovativeness.
Education psychologists claim that the best method of learning involves using real objects, pictures and symbols to ensure that the students understand everything. Singapore for the last few decades have employed these tactics in improving learning of math, and science to great success (Oecd.org, 2016). Shanghai, a province in China, has eliminated elitism from its education system to ensure equality and quality improvement. The government of one of the most influential cities and provinces of China discovered that inclusivity is the best mode of education. Therefore, the transfer of teachers from urban elite schools to the rural areas and vice versa enabled create standardized and inclusivity for all students to benefit (Morrison, 2014). Lastly, Canada’s education system used the money generated from the three highest earning provinces to help fund other poorer provinces. The strategy has ensured that there is equal distribution of resources by dividing the pooled resources to provinces based on their deficiencies and wants.
According to the discussions above the focus of the U.S. federal and states governments to induce competition between the private and public schools via use of vouchers has resulted in resources inequalities. The country needs to change its program by raising the teaching profession to become respected as it is in other countries in the OECD. The over 1,200 training institutions must copy the strategies undertaken by eight Finland universities to help in the transformation of the education system. The proposed vouchers result in inequalities and more constraints to the public schools therefore focusing on diminishing elitism as the case in Shanghai may reduce the inequalities while also employing a similar financing technique as Canada. The rot in the U.S. system needs transformation from the over standardized and exam oriented approach towards innovative and cognitive methods of teaching.
References
Morrison, N. (2014, February 5). Forbes Welcome. Forbes . Retrieved January 25, 2018, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/nickmorrison/2014/02/05/what-we-can-learn-from-the-success-of-shanghais-schools/#4092b01a103e
Patrinos, H. (2013, March 13). PISA Results: Which Countries Improved Most? The World Bank . Retrieved January 25, 2018, from http://blogs.worldbank.org/education/pisa-results-which-countries-improved-most
Oecd.org. (2016, December 6). Singapore tops latest OECD PISA global education survey. Oecd.org . Retrieved January 25, 2018, from http://www.oecd.org/education/singapore-tops-latest-oecd-pisa-global-education-survey.htm
THE EDITORIAL BOARD. (2013, December 13). Why Other Countries Teach Better: Three Reasons Students Do Better Overseas. The New York Times . Retrieved January 25, 2018, from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/18/opinion/why-students-do-better-overseas.html?pagewanted=all
