::Saturday, April 30, 2005::
GLASS IS BROKEN
.. I'm no expert in education and the educational system in the US but Bill Gates' criticism about the broken High school educational system leaves out a critical factor to the problem - student motivation. Systems and structure can only go so far but without student interest on the value of education and why they should stay in school, it will be very hard for the US to counter India and China's rising dominance in math and science. The analysis does not take into account the differences in culture and behavior between the East and the West. Young students in the East become focused in education for lack of anything to do besides helping out the family earn a living and do household chores. Young people in America enjoy the same freedoms and brand of western individualism that their parents and other adults have. They are faced with a myriad of choices and become distracted from focusing on schoo. Although the same choices and freedoms are creeping up to the east, they are still not there and they realize they need to earn and become successful before they can avail of all these individual and material freedoms. There is a difference in getting the goal of success. While young people in China and India realize the only way they can enjoy western lifestyle is to through career success through education, American students' sense of entitlement demotivates them to prepare for the future.
Link
Link
