edumacation

http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/education_ranking/

It is funny how often this gets complained about. The other flip side is that our colleges/universities are still considered to be the overwhelming cream of the crop. Most of our top 100 are ranked by other nations as superior to their own (save some like Oxford). Students from around the world come here to get their degrees in engineering, medicine, or physics for example (all math and science). Do they all return home? Nope.

The essential point should be that basic mathematical skill (by Americans) is in decline and should be developed. I hardly see the need to give everyone a thorough going over in calculus, organic chemistry or geology (despite the fact that I find these subjects occasionally diverting and thoroughly useless for myself). I'm not sure what the average grade is measuring, but I can say that 1) I got rather poorer grades in high school math/science because I didn't do homework or lab reports with good reason. Because 2) I still got insanely high scores on aptitude tests, proficiency exams or placement tests. My concern wasn't get good grades; it was learn the material and understand the processes involved. If they are speaking of these aptitude or proficiency tests, then perhaps there is a problem. If they're speaking of grades, motivation to learn useless material is a problem. Education has to also be about teaching people things they will actually want to use and learn. Diagramming sentences and burning magnesium strips is only going to get a student so far, but not everyone out there is designed as an academic. Some people are electricians or, as our Presidential debate recently reminded us, plumbers.