Many of you already know the story of the tortoise and the hare, but for those of you who don’t, here it is: A tortoise (turtle basically) and a hare (rabbit basically) enter into a race against each other.

The hare knows he has a distinct speed advantage, so as the race starts he blazes down the course and easily gains a very long lead.  Meanwhile the tortoise plods along slowly but surely.

At one point, the hare realizes there is no need to exert so much energy, after all, he’s going to win easily.  So he lies down on the side of the road to take a nap, not too far from the finish line. Lo and behold, the tortoise in his perseverance passes the sleeping hare.

When the hare finally awakes, the ttortoise has nearly finished the race.  The hare flies down the course with all he has to win the race, but in the end, the tortoise wins by a nose.  The moral of the story is persistence wins the day (though there are others that can be made).

So the story goes, and so was once the American education system.  It was once one of the better education systems in the world, much like the hare. . .while other parts of the world have progressed, much like the tortoise (in an analogical sense), America has been sleeping on the side of the road.

Let it be said that there are many good things about an American education: its teachers have a great passion, education is available to nearly the entire population if it wishes to participate, there are many programs that help the disabled or those with less financial resources and more.  There is much to praise about the American education system - let that be noted. . .

The problem lies in the fact that, for a variety of reasons, America has not gotten back on the course with as much effort or so it seems anyways.  Reports are showing the damage: In an international study of several nations in math and science, U.S. teens ranked nearly dead last in both.  In aptitude testing , the U.S. is reportedly 96th out of the 191 nations polled.  In other words, the U.S., a world super-power, is only “average” in its educational well-being.  Even Haiti, considered the only fourth-world country in the Western hemisphere is 82nd on the list; that’s 14 spots better than the U.S. Even America’s revered colleges and universities are slipping too.

And now there has been a movement against homework in America.  Apparently, the amount of homework in American schools is becoming too overwhelming, to the point that students are reportedly doing worse in school because they are overworked in the evenings.

This is probably the case; students probably are overwhelmed.  But perhaps the resolution, or at least one of them, isn’t in eliminating homework, so much as it is in looking and changing the culture of America, which of course is not only a momentous task but a difficult one as well.

Perhaps part of the problem, at least with the homework issue, is the chaotic family lifestyle that exists, which is a reflection of the larger chaotic American culture.  Children finish up school, only to go to their after school program, to be picked up by a parent or babysitter, scour down some fast food so that they can make their six o’clock practice.  When they get home at eight o’clock its time to shower, leaving them little to no time to finish their homework before they go to bed and do it all over again.

To some extent, this is a mass stereotype, but at the same time, it also reflects reality for millions of families in the U.S.  How should it be expected for students to succeed in this kind of lifestyle? We can blame the school system, but it never hurts to take a look into the mirror either. . .

The same can be said of taking educational opportunities for granted. Why is it that so many other countries, coined as “less-developed”, have greater educational aptitude scores than the U.S.?  Before offering a perspective on this, it should be noted that this is not to say that America has the imperial right to be the best in all things. Let it also be said that it should be celebrated when other countries are able to advance and develop, including education, for America is not the pinnacle of all and much can be learned from others.

But maybe the reason why other countries are testing so well is because of a cultural reflection on the appreciation of an education. . .In the U.S., education is viewed as a right, when those in other countries view it a privilege.  Perhaps those children work harder knowing that they have to get an education to even have an attempt at making it.  Though again, the U.S. is very fortunate that educational opportunities are available to so many.  Its just that in our “fortunateness,” the pendulum has swung the other way to the point we have taken it for granted.  A balance needs to be struck.

Alas, much more could be said, but enough already has to paint enough of the broader picture. . . The cultural obstacles that are in place must be reconciled, though there are other factors too.  America is still a great nation, and it still offers a great deal to its people at the cost of many lives past.  But if America seeks to remain a great nation (great as in good, not great as in chauvinistic), it needs to check its own baggage at the door as well.  May this country be humble enough to do so. . .

- IgniteTheMind