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UNITED NATIONS — While eighth graders from the Far East and Eastern Europe can congratulate themselves on great science and math scores, a global report card, grading thirty-eight countries, gives American students only average scores. But before jumping to the National Education Association conclusion that U.S. schools are underfunded, let's look at some facts which won't fit the "politically correct" rationalizations.
First off, congrats to the World Class students in Singapore, South Korea and the Republic of China on Taiwan who really excelled in Math scores! Japan, Hungary and Canada were also in the top ten. American kids came in 19th just behind Latvia in a test which was ironically sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics. This is not to say that U.S. scores are really so bad, but in the parlance of teachers "There's room for much improvement!" Agreed.
But before blaming our students, let's also ask the obvious. Why are American math texts so consummately boring, convoluted, and written as if to confuse rather than to teach? As an early victim of the New Math, I can personally attest to this pernicious problem as can probably half the nation!
Looking at science, the top three in scores are the Republic of China on Taiwan, Singapore, and Hungary. Japan, Korea and Finland are among the top ten. Here American students rank 18th or just behind Bulgaria! While there's much room for improvement here too, one has to factor in the obvious that despite this science shortfall, U.S. institutions of higher learning are second to none in the applied sciences.
Now the obvious conclusion most educators and politicians make from these results. "We just don't spend enough money on our schools, and our school classes are simply too large to learn." Add the element of violence and attacks on teachers in American schools--unheard of in Taiwan, Korea, or Singapore--and one has the perfect alibi for average results.
Yet contrary to what they would want you to believe, the GNP percentage spent on education in the USA is generally higher than most comparators. According to the World Bank's "World Development Indicators 2000", the percent of GNP is 5.4 % for 1997. In Singapore it's 3 %, in South Korea 3.7 %, in Hungary 4.6 %, and in Japan 3.6 %. Only in Taiwan do we see 6.5.% of GNP and in Canada 6.9 % devoted to education.
As to class sizes--the USA average primary pupil/teacher ratio is 16/1; may I say much improved from my generation. In Hungary 11/1, in Canada 16/1, in Japan 19/1, in Korea 31/1, in Singapore 22/1, and in Taiwan 20/1.
While it's preferred to have a smaller pupil/teacher ratio--providing the taxpayers can pay for it--this does not in itself ensure excellence. Some of the greatest American scientists and scholars came from the proverbial one-room schoolhouse or, in recent generations, from underfunded overcrowded schools. It's up to the student to excel—it's up to the school district to make the task more achievable.
Though the U.S. Department of Education funded and conducted this study, it's not the last word, nor is it complete. Germany and France did not participate in the study, though I hardly feel they would have scored badly even though Germany spends only 4.8 % of GNP on education and France 6%.
Again the obvious remains that in the realm of higher education and especially University post graduate degrees, American education eclipses most other countries.
Force feeding school budgets, an infatuation with computers, and a deliberate leveling of standards as a feelgood gesture are among the problems. For example in Vermont, under the guise of fairness and equality, the insidious Act 60 has eroded good school districts and redistributed locally-raised school taxes to the state government level. Nationally, endless education Summits seldom offer suggestions beyond spending and wider government empowerment.
The central problem in American education is not necessarily the lack of money but an uncritical societal allowance for creeping mediocrity and a lowest common denominator environment which pervades from primary school throughout most University classes.
The will to excel and achieve higher standards only seems to come into focus at report card time. Happily President-elect George W. Bush, the husband of a schoolteacher, intends to make better educational standards for all Americans a focus of his Administration.
John J. Metzler is a U.N. correspondent covering diplomatic and defense issues. He writes weekly for World Tribune.com.
