I ran across this article on a facebook. and found It quite thought provoking. In working in my kids schools when they were younger, I did notice the real disparity between the children who's families value education and those who did not.
These are excerpts from the column.
Op-Ed Columnist - The Biggest Issue - Op-Ed - NYTimes.com David Brooks
Source: www.nytimes.com
America’s stagnation in educational progress threatens the country’s long-term economic and sociological prospects.
Between 1870 and 1950, the average American’s level of education rose by 0.8 years per decade. In 1890, the average adult had completed about 8 years of schooling. By 1900, the average American had 8.8 years. By 1910, it was 9.6 years, and by 1960, it was nearly 14 years.
America’s edge boosted productivity and growth. But the happy era ended around 1970 when America’s educational progress slowed to a crawl. Between 1975 and 1990, educational attainments stagnated completely. Since then, progress has been modest. America’s lead over its economic rivals has been entirely forfeited, with many nations surging ahead in school attainment.
In “Schools, Skills and Synapses,” Heckman probes the sources of that decline. It’s not falling school quality, he argues. Nor is it primarily a shortage of funding or rising college tuition costs. Instead, Heckman directs attention at family environments, which have deteriorated over the past 40 years.
Heckman points out that big gaps in educational attainment are present at age 5. Some children are bathed in an atmosphere that promotes human capital development and, increasingly, more are not. By 5, it is possible to predict, with depressing accuracy, who will complete high school and college and who won’t.
1 comment:
i read the article and found it interesting that according to heckman's research, people no longer have a passionate belief in their individual power to change their lives through education and hard work, and that this is a result of deteriorating family environments. yet at the end of brooks' essay he calls for more government early education programs.
sadly, it seems that many families pass on an attitude of class envy and a victim mentality that robs children of the motivation to better themselves through education and hard work.
unfortunately, many schools contribute to this viewpoint by demonizing the ideas of free market capitalism and entrepreneurial enterprise, instead, promoting the socialist ideals of a government regulated economy as the road to social justice and equity. this only further discourages children from any notion of opportunity through personal effort and responsibility.
so i guess i don't agree with mr. brooks' conclusion. earlier education will not help until underlying beliefs and attitudes about education and work are addressed.
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