Author: Tristin Kilgore

With the conclusion of the House Speaker’s race, America’s representatives must once again turn their attention to governing. As University students, we have a front row seat to one of the main catastrophes in American society. The American education system needs drastic change to save the future of our nation’s youths. Our students have fallen behind, the system that used to produce the greatest inventors, artists, and leaders has fallen to create students that have scores below the average globally. Children are not motivated in their schooling; a common trend is students believing that nothing they learn will be useful to them. Education is supposed to achieve two things. First, to create understanding between students on a cultural and moral basis, so that they can integrate into a stable and just society. Second, to build students that have the basic skill to function and be productive in society and their careers and from those students find the talented individuals, from whatever class they may have originated, and give them the opportunity to change the world. However, the American school system is failing on both counts, and parents know this. Students have increasingly begun to leave public schools and reject university, yet none of the solutions proposed has been able to remedy this. 

 

As traditional education systems have receded and began to be increasingly criticized in the United States and abroad, new progressive and experimental education has tried to replace it. The issue is that not only are these new styles impossible for school districts to implement, but they are also detrimental to students’ learning,whether or not they are fully instituted. What actually is created are classes in which the teacher takes a backseat and little learning gets done or students work independently, replacing true education for busy work. This solves none of the problems of the American education system, instead  creating a situation that is the worst of both worlds. A lackluster attempt at implementing change will not be able to resolve this crisis in education. It is only when students see the future benefits of education that we will be able to refocus both students and teachers alike on success can we resolve these issues.

 

The fundamental problem this has created is the collapse of a shared worldview. Some thinkers, such as Bret Stephens, claim that where we went wrong was when we stopped having students “listen and understand; question and disagree; treat no proposition as sacred and no objection as impious.” This is truly not the issue but the cause of the crisis. A society that has no shared ideas or moral basis will have no reality to function in. This is not to suggest that there should be no dialogue, but if a nation is willing to question whether their society should exist or the basic morals that govern our behavior, then there is no way for it to survive and be united. The dialogue that some claim to be everything America is about, has done nothing but destroy the reality the nation had in its foundational ideas. Our education system must take a stance in favor of the truth and not leave it up to the interpretation and deliberation of teachers and administrators. 

 

For over a century, America has been looked upon as the leader in innovation, technology, and industry, yet today we are falling behind. Both our best and average students are dropping in the international rankings. Data from the National Science Foundation found that the United States has increased investment in innovation and science by five times what was spent in 1970, but our productivity, which is driven by innovation, is lower than it was 100 years ago. Only a refocus on building great students will be able to counter this decline. To have the best outcome for students, schools must foster an active community. Both inside and outside of the classroom, students must be engaged in discussing and demonstrating the ideas and skills they are learning. This would allow students to remember the lessons more easily and stay focused in the classroom. 

 

In order to achieve the aims of education, a nation must pass on the knowledge of the past for the sake of the future. Students cannot find this on their own, therefore why attempt to create experience from scratch when there are centuries of scientists, philosophers, and leaders that students can learn from. All of our children need to be given an education that prepares them for their future. This means the skills needed in their everyday life and an understanding of the country’s history and culture. If schools abdicate the responsibility to make moral declarations and show students a true worldview, we will continue to see more confused children without meaning or purpose that are unable to push themselves. The American education system should give resources for the brightest students to succeed. Great progress not only comes from the cooperation of both the leaders and innovators but also those that are crucial to providing them with that ability and upholding society itself. We will be able to see a rebound in our education system when all students are given the chance to fulfill their potential and when they are once again able to push boundaries and change the world.