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The American Education System

Decent Essays

An education is an extremely vital part of anyone’s life, and a fundamental right. By law, the United States is required to provide an equal opportunity of education for all. Unfortunately, what they have to provide is mediocre at best. There are many problems and implications involving the American education system, causing it to be one of the most pressing issues that the United States is facing. The performance rate of schools in the United States compared to those in other countries speaks for itself. “Most of students of the American schools and colleges perform much below the average level. When compared with the students of 21 different industrialized countries, the twelfth graders of America ranks 19th in mathematics achievement and …show more content…

The “...‘absence of new funding at the federal and state level since the 1980s has led to decades of disinvestment in re-enrollment programs across the country’” (“‘High school dropouts…” NP). This lack of funding does not provide the students with the materials that they need to properly learn the information that they are being taught. One of the teachers at our own school, reported saying that for a total of twelve science teachers they were granted only $1500. That’s an estimated $125 per teacher, and assuming each teacher has about 125 students in total, if not more, that is only a dollar for each student. For such a hands-on and important subject such as science, the costs can add up quickly and could only allow each teacher to perform only a few labs with the amount they have been given to work with. More often than not, the little funding that it does have goes towards the wrong places. “The financial cost spent on the ‘thought to be necessary’ things like metal detectors and many such unnecessary advanced tools and systems, are very high” (“Problems in US…” NP). If the US could be wiser with its spending, then this country would go far in more areas than just education. Another finance related issue is the cost for colleges and universities in the United States. A college degree does not necessarily ensure job offers, yet it’s looked down upon not having one. The price to attend and graduate …show more content…

In the Finnish education system “the focus in education is on learning rather than testing...The only national examination... is held at the end of general upper secondary education” (“Education System” NP). To replace tests, they allow the teachers to be responsible for the assessment of each student’s achievements. This method also encourages students to self-assess their own work throughout the year in a way to improve themselves. The education in Finland is also at no cost, with the exceptions of books in higher levels and maybe adult education. Financial aid and grants are still available for any level of higher education (“Finnish Education in…” NP). This allows an equal access and opportunity for

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