There are many explanations, arguments, opinions, and everything in between regarding the issue with the American education system. One of the commonly mentioned themes involves student apathy. This issue is one that is not able to be remedied by a single policy or additional funding to a school. Rather, apathy is rooted in the minds of students. Who or what is responsible for the lack of effort and interest from students? Does this negative mindset explain some of the learning deficits the United States faces amongst other foreign countries?  How can we begin to make steps towards changing the next generation’s mindset towards education?

Placing blame on one specific party for the apathy apparent in students is futile. According to Cornell University, there are many major flaws in the education system that have caused students to give up on trying and investing in their educations, specifically in high school. John H. Bishop states, “hiring selections and starting wage rates often do not reflect the competencies and abilities students have developed in school. Instead, hiring decisions are based on observable characteristics (such as years of schooling and field of study) that serve as signals for the competencies the employer cannot observe directly.” Many high school students are told that their high school education will not even matter once they graduate. Either they will go straight into an entry-level job, or they will get a more significant, important degree in an accredited college or university. So if a student does not plan on furthering their education past high school for whatever reasons, what value does their high school education hold to them? Why would they care to achieve proficiency in standardized testing, or even graduate with a GED? The underlying problem here is that employers do not place any value in high school diplomas anymore. Furthermore, Bishop believes that “employers should start demanding high school transcripts and give academic achievement (particularly achievement in math and science) much greater weight when hiring.” If employers are interested in the performance of an applicant in high school, then students are much more likely to care. Showing students that their future careers are dependent upon their high school education instills a sense of greater personal responsibility. As Rebecca Ann Schou states, the country’s goal of improving education “cannot be achieved by apathetic students who view education as a meaningless endeavor, something they must endure rather than an important building block for their future life” (Walden University). Students must be aware, almost painstakingly so, that their performance in public education has a significant effect on their future.

Another underlying issue regarding student apathy is the American ignorance of the value of education in this world. In many third world countries, the American education system is unfathomable. Students have access to unlimited knowledge, right at the tips of their fingers. In an article published by The Washington Post, Laura Hanby Hudgens writes, “many students don’t see education as a privilege. They see it as a product. And if they don’t like the salesperson, if they aren’t impressed with how it’s packaged, they aren’t buying.” Hudgens goes on to further discuss how American students have come to this indifference by taking their educations for granted. Rather than working with the system, some students have just decided that if the information is not taught exactly how they want it to be, then it is not worth their time. When students have this mindset, it is very difficult to change. Hudgens states that the desire to learn must come from within. How can this be encouraged in our students? Hudgens claims that is up to the “teachers, parents, administrators and, of course, the students to start making self-motivation an educational focus and priority.” At some point in these kids’ lives, they will be on their own: making their own decisions, paying their own taxes, working their own jobs. Self-discipline starts at a young age. If teachers, parents and students work together to prioritize the education of the student, then the achievement and future success will follow suit.

In conclusion, in order to eliminate student apathy from our public education system, students must be held personally responsible for their own success. The students must see a purpose in performing to the best of their ability in high school, otherwise that whole stage of their life will seem useless in regards to their future.  High school students must develop the basic skills needed to accept responsibility and discipline themselves towards a better future.