Public Education. Moving forward, or backwards?

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A friend of mine pulled up this elementary school test which was given quite awhile back. Thirty years or more. He told me it was so difficult, that he would have a hard time passing it, and he was a high school science teacher years ago.

Is public education moving forward, or backwards? I know of a few people who graduated high school, that can barely read. I have my thoughts on the matter. What are yours?

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@Elmud,

Correction. The test was given in 1895.

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@Elmud,

I don't know if it is a fair comparison to compare 1895 test to tests of today. The tests of 1895 would be difficult today because the focus is different. First off, language is have evolved quite a bit so we would struggle with portion as they would with ours. One sad thing though, students today would tank civics. Many get through school without learning about civics which is sad in a democratic society.

I think that education is moving backwards, but that is what happens when conservatives are put in charge of the public education system. Education could start advancing but first a greater importance must be placed on it, and the funding needs to be increased. Also, more incentive needs to be given so that good teachers go into teaching. Otherwise, education will continue to flounder.

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@Theaetetus,

Theaetetus wrote:

I don't know if it is a fair comparison to compare 1895 test to tests of today. The tests of 1895 would be difficult today because the focus is different. First off, language is have evolved quite a bit so we would struggle with portion as they would with ours. One sad thing though, students today would tank civics. Many get through school without learning about civics which is sad in a democratic society.

I think that education is moving backwards, but that is what happens when conservatives are put in charge of the public education system. Education could start advancing but first a greater importance must be placed on it, and the funding needs to be increased. Also, more incentive needs to be given so that good teachers go into teaching. Otherwise, education will continue to flounder.

Yeah. My youngest daughter wants to be an English teacher. Pretty smart little gal. She tutors others in algebra. Teachers do not make much of a wage, relatively speaking. One of the incentives .as you say, might be an increase in wages.

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@Elmud,

Elmud wrote:

Yeah. My youngest daughter wants to be an English teacher. Pretty smart little gal. She tutors others in algebra. Teachers do not make much of a wage, relatively speaking. One of the incentives .as you say, might be an increase in wages.

Its ridiculous how little teachers are paid relative to other professions. They have one of the most important jobs in society, but are paid poorly for what they do. The job usually has high satisfaction (for the good teachers anyway), but they still should be paid what they deserve.

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@Elmud,

I'd say backwards. The education system seems to focus more about the many other aspects of school instead of the actual learning. Grades just put pressure on kids and most of the time, grades don't decide how intelligent you are but how hard you work, homework, and other things like that. Its seems like most teachers these days are really getting worse and worse.

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@Yogi DMT,

Yogi DMT wrote:

I'd say backwards. The education system seems to focus more about the many other aspects of school instead of the actual learning. Grades just put pressure on kids and most of the time, grades don't decide how intelligent you are but how hard you work, homework, and other things like that. Its seems like most teachers these days are really getting worse and worse.

Maybe they're just wore plum T-totally out? May be a little burn out goin on there.

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@Elmud,

I can not make a comparison between the past and present here in Canada but I do not think it is doing well in any case.
Here in Canada, in grade 11 I realized that at that moment I would not be able to solve the problems that I was solving in my country in grade 5. Quite literally.

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@Theaetetus,

Theaetetus;53098 wrote:

I think that education is moving backwards, but that is what happens when conservatives are put in charge of the public education system.

I disagree, I think its what happens when idiots and politicians are put in charge and policy overrides the student's welfare. What conservatives are you talking about?

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@Elmud,

Consider for a moment who is running our public schools: politicians and the students. Certainly not the educators themselves.

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@Elmud,

Backwards.

The problem is capitalism.

Nowadays it's all about reputation, which school can produce the kids with the best grades will get all the plaudits and money that comes along with it. Ultimately schooling and education institutes are run like businesses.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a school which tells you we aren't focused on results, we don't care if our kids don't score straight As, the important thing is the learning.

Syllabus is taught in such a way that it requires minimal thinking on the student's part. The teacher does all the thinking for them and gives them notes on what to memorize, what to practice, and tell them the precise steps or the most perfect way to do a sum or answer a question. In a competitive education system, you can't afford to give time to your students for learning on their own ... no no no! Not when it can be spent perfecting them, transforming them into the perfect examination robot, who will regurgitate all the perfect answers and solutions during nationwide assessments.

Because that's how you can make your students get better grades, it's a formulaic and successful approach to take, and better grades = better funding, more popularity, more money for the staff ...

That's why education is going backwards.

Capitalism.

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Public Education. Moving forward, or backwards?

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