Most controversies over education are centered around the question of how strictly standards should be upheld. The concern over whether or not flunking students is appropriate or even in the best interest of the student is a widely discussed topic. The argument often begins with students just starting school where the question of standardized testing for kindergartners arises. The majority of people are actually against such testing because they feel that a child who is labeled as a failure at such an early age may be permanently damaged (Bowen 86). The worry over the failure issue is further traced to educators who feel children just entering school are not fully prepared. Teachers are faced with kindergarten students who do not know their addresses, colors, and sometimes even first and last names (An ‘F’ 59). Another reason why the assignment of failing grades has decreased is the influence of the self-esteem movement, which promotes the assumption that children who do not have a positive self-image cannot learn or develop properly. Although this theory is widely accepted, it has been discredited by several studies. Recent research shows that, although American students felt more confident about themselves and their work, they were outperformed by several Asian countries on tests of elementary skills. American schools and teachers tend to worry more about the student’s self-esteem than the actual academic performance (Leo, “Damn” 21). Mary Sherry, a teacher of adult literacy programs, does not believe such theories. Her view is that students become motivated by the threat of failure, and that not failing a student not only shows lack of confidence on the teacher’s behalf, but also hurts the society as a whole. Employees are becoming highly disappointed with so-called “graduate” students (8). In a letter to columnist Ann Landers, a college professor wrote about his views of the education system. He feels that universities have turned into businesses where teachers are just looking for money and students are just looking for a piece of paper with a title on it. He says that the students of today think they are automatically entitled to a degree because they pay tuition (Depressed Old Prof. 3-B). Adding to the profit motive for schools is the government which, for the p... ... middle of paper ... ...ressed Old Prof. “Ann Landers.” Times-Picayune [New Orleans] 4 Sep. 1995: 3-B. “An ‘F’ for the Nation’s Kindergartners (Education).” Newsweek 16 Dec. 1991: 59. Goldstein, Andrew and Ann Blackman. “No SAT Scores Required (Education).” Time 11 Sep. 2000: 52-53. Hendren, John. “Ex-English Professor Creates Corporate Prose Police.” Courier [Houma LA] 25 Aug. 1996: 4D. Leo, John. “The Answer Is 45 Cents (On Society).” U.S. News & World Report 21 Apr. 1997: 14. ---. “Damn, I’m Good! (On Society).” U.S. News & World Report 18 May 1998: 21. Morse, Jodie et al. “Does Texas Make the Grade? (Education).” Time 11 Sep. 2000: 50-54. Mulcahy, Fred. “No Free Rides for Dumb Students (My Turn).” Newsweek 15 Aug. 1994: 12. Pedersen, Daniel. “When an A Is Average (Education).” Newsweek 3 Mar. 1997. Ravith, Diane. “In Defense of Testing (Education).” Time 11 Sep. 2000: 52-53. Roberts, Paul. Modern Grammar. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1968. Sherry, Mary. “In Praise of the F Word (My Turn).” Newsweek 28 Aug. 1990: 8. Wilkes, Paul. “The First Test of Childhood (My Turn).” Newsweek 14 Aug. 1989: 8. Winters, Rebecca. “From Home to Harvard (Education).” Time 11 Sep. 2000: 55.
As stated before, the north was a very innovative society. They had slowly abolished slavery over time since the American Revolution. Due to moral reasons as well as the industrial revolution. With the invention of new technology in factories that cut down on labor, slaves were not as necessary because owners didn’t need large numbers or workers and could afford to pay their workers. Also, technology allowed for more products to be produced in a shorter amount of time which meant more revenue to pay workers. The North had a larger population of abolitionist than compared to the south. These individuals believed that every man had the right to provide for his family regardless of color. With the north already without slavery they began to protest for slavery to be abolished in the South, also known as the abolitionist movement. The South was very against this idea because their economy relied heavily on slaves to maintain their crops. The South saw the act of abolition from the north as a way to end their liberty and way of
During the late 1700’s to the 1830’s, slavery in the United States became more and more controversial. The northern states were beginning to believe that slavery was inhumane and wanted slavery to cease. The southern states were very adamant about not changing their ways. Slavery was the main component of income for the southern states. The South was ready to fight for what they believed; whereas, the North was ready to fight diplomatically. The abolitionist movement had several leaders in the South, but was aided by the predominant views of the majority of people in the North. Abolitionists contained many different people all with the same idea about slavery, “believing that slavery was a national sin, and
The ability for all children from varying walks of life to receive a well-rounded education in America has become nothing more than a myth. In excerpt “The Essentials of a Good Education”, Diane Ravitch argues the government’s fanatical obsession with data based on test scores has ruined the education system across the country (107). In their eyes, students have faded from their eyes as individual hopefully, creative and full of spirit, and have become statistics on a data sheet, percentages on a pie chart, and numbers calculated to show the intelligence they have from filling out bubbles in a booklet. In order for schools to be able to provide a liberal education, they need the proper funding, which comes from the testing.
He talks of social instability defined by a society of haves and have-nots. In addition, he talks of some people having defined goals to success and creating the means through hard work and education. He goes ahead and describes the poor as having blocked access to their ends. However, he fails to identify who blocks their way or who provided the means for the haves. It is all about hard work and perception. Rebels are guided by choice and the same applies to the conformists. If I decided to go back on the streets and start begging as a means of livelihood, the proponents of this theory would label me an innovator. This aspect means that agree to the common goals of society, but I am not willing to work or use legitimate ways to get
Abolitionists first started appearing in America when the American Revolution was just beginning. Those who opposed slavery included some of our distinguished Founding Fathers such as Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, Thomas Paine, and Benjamin Rush; who felt that slavery defied the parts of the Declaration of Independence. Most northern abolitionists were religiously inspired and felt that slavery was a sin that must be stopped immediately.
Albert Einstein once stated, “not everything that counts can be counted and not everything that can be counted counts.” High-stakes testing attempts to determine the knowledge a person has obtained throughout grades K-12. These standardized tests are being used to judge a person’s ability to graduate from high school and also judge if a child has enough knowledge to proceed to the next grade level. Throughout this paper, I will be discussing how these tests do not accurately portray one’s intelligence, how they have increased drop out rates, and also show the damaging psychological affects they have had.
... 1998: 45-47. Gray, Kenneth. "The baccalaureate game: Is it right for all teens?" Phi Delta Kappa Apr. 1996: 528+. McEachern, William A. "The Max for the Minimum." The teaching economist. Issue 15. Spring 1998. Nelson, F. Howard. "How and How Much the U.S. Spends On K-12 Education: An International Comparison." Mar. 1996: n. pag. Online. Internet. 9 Mar.1998. Available http://www.aft.org/research/reports/interntl/sba.htm. Ravitch, Diane. "50 states, 50 standards?: The continuing need for national voluntary standards in education." The Brookings Review Summer 1996: 6+. Rehder, Robert R. "Education and Training: Have the Japanese Beaten Us Again?" Personnel Journal Jan. 1983: 42. Russel, Cheryl. "What's wrong with schools?" American Demographics Sep. 1996: 4+. Sinitsyn, Maxim I. "The Results of a Test." msinits@siue.edu (30 Mar. 1998). Smith, Greg. "How to beat the SAT/ACT blues" Career World Nov. 1995: 13+. Sternberg, Robert J. "Extra Credit for Doing Poorly." New York Times 25 Aug. 1997, late ed.: sec.A: 23. "Strengths and weaknesses of American education." Phi Delta Kappa Apr. 19
This is after taking into account that both models have altered features but there is evidence to assume that both models are not complete and do in fact suffer from major drawbacks, however the health care professionals must acknowledge this failer in order to demonstrate a coherent picture about the implications of health. As suggested by (Kelly and Charlton, 1995, p.82) “In the medical model the pathogens are viruses, or malfunctioning. In the social model they are poor housing, poverty [and] unemployment, the social model’s [view of health] is not an alternative to the discredited medical model. It is a partner in
“If the colored children are denied the experience in school of associating with white children, who represent ninety percent of our nation society in which these colored children must live, then the colored child’s curriculum is greatly being curtailed” (1).In the fifties and sixties the civil rights movement along with help of organization like the NAACP fought racial segregation, because blacks were not equal to their white brothers and sisters. African-Americans schools were usually undermined to white schools throughout America history. African-Americans were considered privileged if they received an education or could comprehend the reading and written language of society. Segregation of children in schools has a detrimental effect upon the colored child, who gains a sense of inferiority which later affects the colored child ability to sustain knowledge (2). In 1954, the United States Supreme Court in the Brown vs. the Board of Education ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional which violated the fourteenth Amendment, which granted equal protection to all citizens regardless of race. This outcome had overturned the old standard which was set in 1896 in the Plessey vs. Ferguson, which said separate but equal facilities were constitutional. The new ruling made it possible for a little third-grader named Linda Brown could attend a predominately white elementary that was just a mile away from her house, instead of walking about six miles to the rundown black elementary school. In 1955 following the United States Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education, granted equal access and opportunity for education of minorities to be carried out ASAP. But it was not until the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that efforts final took effect to desegregate schools in the south. This act made it possible for black children in twenty-one other states could attend white public schools, if their school was not equal to there counterparts. In the years that followed the public school systems of many states where reluctantly to bus black students off to far distances, because they were trying to maintain racial proportion (O’Connor 374). The color-lines of America will never change according to W.E.D Dubois: we as Americans need not to forget our past, because we have now installed a new school plan, called choice schools throughout t...
First, looking at high calorie, high fat content, and hidden sugar meals, have you ever took into consideration how fast food meals are prepared or for that matter what is the difference in how you would cook your own meals at home. Fast food restaurants, their meals are high calorie dense foods with added ingredients we would not knowingly truly put into our bodies. For instance, “fast foods from most major chains contain unacceptably high levels of industrially produced trans-fatty acids” (Stender S). The International Journal of Obesity did chemical analyses of 74 samples of fast food menus in 35 countries from 2005-2006, not all fast foods are created equal their findings revealed that “fat content of 41-65g at McDonalds and 42-74g at KFC” (Stender S). Preparing meals at home could cut the fat and sugar content in half. Sugar
Standardized tests have been a controversial issue regarding whether they are helping or hurting students and their academics. People that are for standardized testing argue that the tests are fair because all students nationwide are learning and being tested on the same thing. Bruno, Kemmerling, and others agree that these tests are beneficial to schools, students, and teachers. Others who are against standardized testing disagree because teachers are only teaching to the test. Littky, Caines, and Hanford see the negative aspects of standardized testing and want to change how people perceive it. Both sides of the issue have a credible argument.
The education system has been a controversial issue among educators. Requirements of school do not let student choose what they want to study for their future. It’s a big issue to force student study specific curriculums, which don’t help them improve, and what they like to create something. Educators choose a general system for education to all students which based on general knowledge. Intelligent or genius students have to be in that system of education, which doesn’t let them improve their creativity. Educators attempt to change that system to make it better, but their changing was not that great to be an example for the world. Also, did that change qualify education system to compete other systems or not? In some examples and reasons have been made me agree with some of points from Gatto’s and Edmunson’s and disagree them.
(Williams and Bendelow, 1998). The social model of health looks at factors such as; the social, environmental, economic and cultural factors which are the broader influences on health instead of diseases and injuries. ‘the social model locates people in social contexts, conceptualizes the physical environment as socially organized, and understands ill health as a process of interaction between people and their environments’ (Broom, 1991, 52). Social model of health perceives health and illness in different ways other than just medical facts, by looking at the broader factors that can cause ill health or be the source of you being ill such as; being in poverty; having poor housing, job-related stress, pollution, family, employment status, working conditions, health services, housing, environmental pollution, friends, income, education, social life, national food deprived neighbourhoods as well as poor life choices, these factors can shape your physical along with your mental health and it is not just science that can shape our physical and mental
Too much time is being devoted to preparing students for standardized tests. Parents should worry about what schools are sacrificing in order to focus on raising test scores. Schools across the country are cutting back on, or even eliminating programs in the arts, recess for young children, field trips, electives for high school students, class meetings, discussions about current events, the use of literature in the elementary grades, and entire subject areas such as science (if the tests cover only language arts and math) (Kohn Standardized Testing and Its Victims 1).
The world is compiled of countries with a thriving and growing economy and countries with poor and receding economies. Not every countries economy is the same and they all have their own unique ways of going about trade and investments and their attempt to grow as a country. Singapore has a thriving economy and it will just continue to grow as they prosper through vast exports and imports and their big businesses that are there.