I have recently come to the realization that America’s educational system has ceased to be a tool for the teaching of Americas you ad has become instead a complicated system through which one’s knowledge is showcased and verified for the sole purpose of validating one’s diploma. This is done namely to benefit prospective employers. The life of a child from the age of five to an adult at the age of eighteen is used simply to prove that what they claim to have contained within their skulls actually is there. Once you consider this it is most logical solution one could come to. If school existed with only education in mind there would a complete lack of grading, tests, no official graduation. One would simply attend until they reached their desired level of education and once they reached this point they would move on into the workforce. It would then be the responsibility of the employer to ensure the skills of the applicant.
Standardized test are yet another way to go about proving our worth to prospective places of employment. Most of the time they are used indirectly for this purpose by colleges. Because this is the case I am not sure why it is necessary to take these tests at such a young age as they are being given. I see them as a waste of time that could be used more valuably teaching the students rather than testing them over what they, in many cases, have yet to learn.
I have observed over the years the amount of stress that is applied to students to do well and I believe that not only is this unhealthy for the students but also that the stress level could be reduced dramatically if the tests were simply done away with. Ask most any teacher and the first thing they will tell you about the “No Child Left Behind” act is that it takes up too much time and it simply gets in the way. If the pressure to do well on these tests was removed and instead the students were encouraged to learn all they could and simply explore different subject in order to find what they like best. I, for one, would learn far more in school of the learning environment were not so focused on doing well on tests. Focusing instead on learning and preparing for the real tests that are yet to come in life, I believe, would be far more helpful on the road to a successful life.
1 comment:
nick i deff. agree with you, i think the grading system is horrible and way too stressful for some people, plus all the tests and what not. however if we were just to go to school untill our desired aducation is reached, then how many people would be willing to go far if there were to requirements? and im pretty sure that whole 'No Child Left Behind” deal was part of something the bush administration came up with so america wont suck so much (yeah right). I dont like the idea of grades either, because when the bad grades come in, it sometimes leaves you feeling like your incredibly stupid compaired to many. Although if the choice was up to us, i know many people wouldn't bother trying and america could possibly (if possible) suck even more than we already do.
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