Comments on: Experts: Education key to U.S. competitiveness

Science, technology, engineering and math programs need a boost for the country to maintain its edge, panelists say at governors' forum.
Photo: An innovation initiative

[ih8sprint]

US More Competitive?

Executives and Politicans want more of America's youth in higher education? With the average student debt around $20k, and many colleges costing more than $40k/year, it's no wonder why many kids do not go to school. Coupled with the fact that companies want to pay ungrads a starting rate of $14/hr, it isn't worth the time.

[russ960]

Well lets just give up then?

These kinds of comments are not the solution to the problem. Instead of posing a solution you choose complain about the cost of private schools and wages. What you want is wage regulation and big government programs. Is this going to help? I this going save American jobs or make us more competitive in the open market? The answer is no. Only a drastic change in our education system will work. We need a more competitive and quality system. We don't need more money, or regulations. Both serve put our education system further into the muck. Instead we need meaningful reform, competition, and leaner school systems.

http://www.rightsideoftech.com

[MSSlayer]

what?

No real degree will net you $14 an hour and certainly not legitimate high tech degrees. Maybe if you majored in philosophy, business or something equally worthless you will get $14 an hour. But then lazy unmotivated slobs deserve no better. There is no reason a properly educated highly minted grad can't net at least $45,000 a year to start. But not if you take the easy path.

What needs to change is hiring substandard teachers and paying them peanuts. Teachers salaries should double and the standards triple. That would be a good start.

Mathematics is the key to everything, it should be required for every term in high school.

[CompEng]

The Key To Competitiveness

The key to competitiveness is being in the game. In what field does the U.S. need to be more competitive? Education? You could argue that's the case, but the main problem with match and science education in the U.S. is no one's buying it.
The problem is the interesting research is not being done in the U.S. in quantity, and won't be tomorrow. And the reason is that the new operations will be set up overseas, not here, even if the number of match, science, or engineering graduates doubled next year. And if it were, we wouldn't know about it. Neither the fame nor the money are perceived to be in those fields. Our best students know they will do better with an MBA in the foreseeable future.
We're not really much in the game in manufacturing or high-end research except in niche areas, as far as I can tell. I don't see how better educational institutions are going to change that unless the new graduates and their buddies are ready to build start-ups to wow the big guys. But I don't buy it; I think you learn best by doing the real thing in the real world. and I think the hot shot young guys in America smart enough to go against multinational research labs are going to be smart enough to find a game with better odds.

[worsethannormal]

word problems

I say, and have been saying for years, that the problem with most math and science programs is the lack of applicability to real life. I remember in 3rd grade (about 8 years old), when word problems were introduced, everyone hated them but me. Why did I like them? Because they actually showed a use for math in the real world. You are presented with the problem and you have to figure out how to use what you have learned in a real world situation to solve the problem. How exciting!? But these were always assigned as "extra credit" for the "smart kids" to do. Shouldn't we engage everyone this way. Do you think someone who repairs cars for a living doesn't use (or could benefit from) the same problem solving techniques taught by such problems. Let kids figure out their own problems. Teach them how to solve their own problems.

And don't get me started on grade inflation. Most parents in the US (at least those in suburbia where I grew up) railed against teachers who didn't give their kids A's. That's BS. If you only do what the teacher requires of you (this is coming more from a Creative Writing/English background) you should only get a C. Only students who go above and beyond deserve B's and A's. There's no shame in C's. You did what was required.

Instead we get people going to college and expecting straight A's just because they do the bare minimum. How can we say someone is at the top of their class just for doing the minimum. We should be challenging our students to go above and beyond. Not coddling them for just scraping by.

[oxtail01]

Attitudes need to be changed.

I'll bet US has more universities and colleges then any other foreign country and that we probably also have more graduates than any other country. The problem is the weak curriculum compounded by the culture of seeking easy money for the least amount of work. American culture cultivates the "get rich with no pain" schemes and glorifies the obscene excesses of the rich that presents to the young people that quality education and hard work is NOT related to being successful. There's not a minute on TV on some channel that doesn't have somebody telling us that we can be rich, no education necessary.