Waiting for Superman

Teaching children in a country where education is consistently ranked in the top 5 in the entire world, it’s hard not to recognize the failures of the American Public school system on a daily basis. Coming from a country where the term “failing school” is even in the vocabulary is astonishing here. These children are out-performing children from every other nation in the world. As utopian as that sounds, it also comes with it’s own cost. In Japan, every child wears a uniform. Public school or Private, it doesn’t matter. Children are in a continual personal battle to out perform, and strive to do their best. Straight A’s are not a way of life here. Not because the students are not smart enough, but because the bar is set so much higher. Though, they strive for perfection, few get it in the form of a perfect report card. In a way it doesn’t entirely make sense. But it serves to keep these kids in constant reach for an illusive, unattainable bar; all the while, surpassing American children in every aspect. Most of these children go to school from 8:00-4:00. Then afterwards, instead of going to play with their friends, they go to “juko,” which is study school. Most go to math juko. So for two hours after school, they go to another location to have another teacher impress upon them more school. By the time they get home from juko they have so much homework from their regular class load, that they spend the rest of their evening studying; all to wake up the next morning to repeat this rigorous school schedule. It’s amazing to me. Though, some may think (from an American standpoint, of course) that this is overdoing it; how this country has been able to place such importance in school on a national level is something America needs a little bit more of. In my opinion. 

We recently watched the documentary “Waiting for Superman.” It was heartbreaking and sobering to the realities of the American school system. Everyday, in America children are being tossed around in a battle of statistics. Most simply put, the chances of a child getting a good education, when the odds of a string of failing neighborhood schools are against them, is daunting. And for the children who can’t afford to go to private school, it’s a grim future for them to look forward to. As a graduate from a school titled “failing” from a national perspective, this is all to true to me. In my freshman year, I had nearly 1,000 peers seating in the desks around me. By my sophomore year, a quarter of those students had dropped out. My junior year was the same story. By the time I graduated senior year, less than 400 students were seated besides me in the graduation ceremony. And that’s just one school in Utah. To me, that is insanity. The fact that I graduated all came down to chance. The chance that I had good teachers, made good friends, and had great parents who place huge emphasis on doing well in school. To claim to be such an evolutionary country, but not being able to offer an effective educational system to all children? This is ludicrous!

The funny thing is, our country is dumping millions of dollars into education reform. From FDR to Reagan to Obama, and everyone in between, our politicians have been repeated promising us better reforms, but with zero impact to the actual progress. I am not one to claim that so long as the government is involved, there is no hope for American children. Japan is more socialist leaning than America, so obviously government is not the problem. Other countries that also excel over America by educational standards are Finland and Sweden. Both of which are largely socialist countries. Am I trying to make a connection here? No. But it is the fact, that even the more “heavy handed” governments are able to make school systems work properly. Perhaps we need to adopt some of these other standards on educational policies. We need more adequate teachers. We need less incompetent bureaucracy. We need more serious parents, placing higher emphasis on education. And a system that will keep this all in check.

I am stepping off my soap box now. Please, please, please, watch this movie! It was very “educational.” We can’t continue to let this cycle affect our children’s education.