Weakening of the United States Education System - Essay Example

Weakening of the United s Education System Introduction The educational system in the United s has been declining and weakening in the past several years. Since the advent of the global economic crisis, the educational system of the United States has been faced with budget cuts and economic compromises that have consequently reduced the quality of education of college and even high school graduates. In sharp contrast, Asian countries have steadily increased their literacy rates and improved the quality of their education. In this current age of globalization, these Asian countries are creating more competent graduates as compared to their American counterparts. Based on the above scenario, this paper shall now evaluate the weakening of the United States educational system in preparing and motivating U.S. students to adequately compete against students of emerging Asian countries in a global employment market. This papers hopes to come up with an adequate evaluation of the current educational phenomenon in order to further understand its causes and effects. Discussion In 2005, an article published in CBS News revealed that the U.S. educational system is losing its ground “as peers across the globe zoom by with bigger gains in student achievement and school graduations…” (as quoted by Lagorio, 2005). This article makes mention of a research which reveals that in American adults aged 25 to 34, the US ranks ninth among developed nations in the percentage of high school graduates. According to the Director of Education of the Organization for Cooperation, these figures are a turnaround to figures 20 years ago, which ranked the US as first in the number of its graduates (Lagorio, 2005). The director also mentions that in the knowledge economy, the US is still in the top rungs; however, education’s contribution to this knowledge is not anymore as significant as it used to be. The results of the study were largely based on comparative surveys covering Europe, Asia and other countries where international test scores revealed that 15 year olds in the United States were below average in applying math skills to their real-life tasks (Lagorio, 2005). Considering the fact that the US spends about $11,000 per student, these results imply certain inefficiencies in the system which the US must look into in order to be as competent as their Asian and even European counterparts. In a speech by Jim Goodnight (2007) he spoke about the decline in the American educational system in the present era of globalization. He pointed out that the globalization of the economy and the market has opened up new markets not just for the United States, but for everyone else as well. Consequently, the competition in this economy is much stiffer and much more diverse. What used to be a capability dominated and exclusive to the United States is now available and being capably manufactured or produced in other countries (Goodnight, 2007). The trend of outsourcing by American companies in the late 1990s gave jobs to Asian countries like India; and these Asian companies and countries have continued to bid on other technological projects. And with their lower cost, they have given the American companies serious competition. China and India’s large population also represents labor potentials that translate to serious threats on the US dominance in the international technological market (Goodnight, 2007). In the 1950s the United States was able to create educational opportunities for its population; the focus on science and math education during these years helped the US gain technological capabilities. But this educational focus has declined or weakened over the years. Instead, over in Asia, young minds are working long and hard hours mastering and gaining knowledge in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). And these are the very areas which students in America are avoiding because of their higher levels of difficulty. In this age of technology, the need for STEM-skilled students will continue to increase, and “if American students aren’t equipped to do the work, there are tens of millions of workers in Asia who will step in and take those jobs. And the next generation of American workers will become service workers” (Goodnight, 2007). The fact that these Asians also speak English is one of the main factors which seriously make them tough competition for the US population. This speech by Goodnight points out startling facts which have not completely been faced or even addressed by the American educational system. It is important for the US to make adjustments in its educational system in order to be as competitive as Asian graduates. Alkhafaji (1995) also points out that in order for the American businessman to be globally competitive he must learn to function in this global, multicultural, multilingual, and geocentric economy. However, since the early 90s, only few universities offer courses in international business in the United States. Moreover, Americans have not yet fully appreciated the importance of speaking or learning other languages (Alkahafaji, 1995). This is an unfortunate circumstance because other citizens in other countries, especially Asia and Europe already speak one other language – their national language and English. Over in Europe, their proximity to each other allows a close interchange of culture and language. The main point is, that the bilingualism or multilingualism already present in Asian or European graduates has helped these countries relate and compete with each other while applying the concepts of open trade and global relations. And in the United States, the American education system has yet to incorporate adjustments into its curriculum which would allow its graduates to comfortably relate with the outside world. And this oversight, if uncorrected, will continue to minimize the competitiveness and the capabilities of their graduates and eventually, their workforce. In an article by Hvistendahl (2009) she points out how many countries across East Asia are directing financial support to universities, to basic research, and to vocational and junior colleges with the goal of greater economic development. Countries like China and South Korea are investing largely on their universities and in technological research in order to give them the capability of competing strongly with other countries. Hvistendahl (2009) emphasizes that “Asia’s approach to higher education contrasts markedly with that of the United States, where even before the global recession hit, the percentages of state budgets dedicated to higher education have been in steady decline”. This circumstance is now seriously undermining America’s competitiveness in this global economy because as America’s dropout rates are increasing, Asian nations are reporting up to 90% graduation rates and many of these graduates come from engineering and other technical courses (Hvistendahl, 2009). In the United States, the allocation for education is not being considered a priority, and yet many Asian nations have taken the cue from the United States post-war years when large investments on education were made. The pressure on the United States at this point is that, this period of educational growth in many emerging Asian nations is coming at a time when America’s educational system is weakening (Hvistendahl, 2009). There can be no doubt at all that the advantage is now on the Asian nations who also now have rising economies to complement their rising educational system. In a paper by Daniel Cheng (n.d), he points out an important and crucial factor in Asian education. “Higher education is given exceptional importance in Asia and is often a matter of family pride” (Cheng, n.d). Because of this, parents often struggle and put in long hours of work at 2 or even 3 jobs just to ensure that their children would get to finish college. In fact two international universities in Singapore and Hong Kong have managed to draw in an international crowd of students and these universities have helped many Asian students at having a crack at international businesses. The knowledge that their children are holding high and respected positions in the workplace reflects back on the parents and the family; their children’s success is their pride and success as a family. Among Americans, this pressure is not all too common as students often finish high school and may or may not end up in college. And because of the astronomical cost of college education, many of these students wind up not going to college at all. As soon as jobs become available to them, they leave their homes and go on to live their own lives independent of their families. In a Newsweek article by Vencat (2007), she emphasizes how the educational landscape is now being reshaped in the face of the present era of globalization. “The stakes in the ever-tightening race could be higher: with the numbers of internationally-minded students growing exponentially, schools and nations must do all they can to lure them in-both for economic and intellectual reasons” (Vencat, 2007). And the obvious winner in this state of global education will be the countries which produce graduates which can compete on an international level. Although the United States still is considered the leader in this type of education; its share of international students has decreased over the years. The efforts of Asian nations to improve their global education have managed to keep their students within their borders; consequently, this has prevented the brain drain of their most skilled and educated minds. Other nations in Asia, such as Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, and India have also invested largely in their education sector and these investments have helped usher in crucial improvements in a world which is now largely considered by many to be borderless. Works Cited Alkhafaji, A. (1995) Competitive global management: principles and strategies. Florida: St Lucie Press Cheng, D. (n.d) Heading asia’s global universities. Heidrick & Struggles. Retrieved 24 November 2009 from http://www.heidrick.com/NR/rdonlyres/636466B3-AC15-40FD-BD72-84729AE9CE7D/0/HS_AsiasGlobalUniverstity.pdf Goodnight, J. (25 October 2007) Globalization and our failing education system: a clear and present danger. University of North Carolina. Retrieved 24 September 2009 from http://www.unc.edu/depts/diplomat/item/2007/1012/good/goodnight_clear.html Hvistendahl, M. (5 October 2009) Asia Rising: Countries Funnel Billions Into Universities. Retrieved 24 November 2009 from http://www.edu-factory.org/edu15/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=221:asia-rising-countries-funnel-billions-into-universities&catid=38:documentation&Itemid=56 Lagorio, C. (13 September 2005) U.S. Education Slips In Rankings: Annual Study Finds Other Nations Zoom By U.S. In Student Achievement. CBS News. Retrieved 24 September 2009 from http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/09/13/national/main838207.shtml Vencat, E. (August 2007) The Race Is On. Newsweek. Retrieved 24 November 2009 from http://www.namastestudyusa.com/pdf/newsweekarticleelectronicedfair.pdf Read More