This research will analyze information on how and why other countries are performing better than the United States of America in education. The primary question to answer is how and Why are other countries performing better in education than the United States?

Recent studies have shown that the education system of the USA lags behind other countries. Public, private, and home schools offer instruction in the USA. The Government of each state set a comprehensive education system. Local and Federal Governments fund these schools.

Private schools have an independent set of unique curriculum systems and faculty policies. Other than these, there are several other privately administered educational systems, throughout the USA. A recent study shows that the United States spends more on their children’s education than any other country.

But still, the rest of the world is doing better in fields like science, and mathematics. Why is that? Why are other countries are performing higher in these fields? Even when the United States leads the way in technology, sciences, and economics. The United States is clearly the world’s leader in everything, other than in the classroom.

Socioeconomic disadvantages:

The USA is the most technologically advanced, and powerful country in the world, we also have one of the highest rates of childhood poverty in developed countries. The number of children born and brought up in starvation, and others facing economic disadvantages affecting their education is staggering compared to the National GDP.

This leads to poor physical health, slow cognitive development, making children’s capability to learn and seek information significantly reduced. Even middle class and wealthy families face educational disadvantages, evident through highly developed countries.

Wealthy families have wealth, but little motivation for studies as they already have wealth, and parents usually make their education easier through college donations and other means. Whereas low-income families are motivated to study but lack the resources. They seem like river fish in the middle of sharks in the sea.

Discrimination, although minimal in 2019, plays an essential role in the lack of education in the USA. White people perform significantly better compared to African Americans. Most teachers are white Americans, compared to the current mostly diverse modern classroom. Therefore, a socioeconomic divide arises, creating another disadvantage in the American educational system.

Parental Involvement

Parents should equally participate in their children’s education; otherwise, the child will struggle. Reduced parental involvement may increase interest in other matters which may lead to the immoral methods of society.

Parents should ask questions, ask their children daily that, “How was school today? Did you learn something new? Did your test go well?” The children will rejoice knowing their parents cared about their education and academic development. Moreover, parents must always help their children with their homework.

Teaching strategies:

As with the development of technology and science, schooling is also developing.

But the thing that matters is, “Can old teachers adapt to new and growing teaching strategies? If no, then schools should hire new teachers, who have studied according to the latest strategies, and are eager to grow and teach; teachers who have studied the latest and most useful strategies, including Stem.

The fact that schools do not hire new teachers is because unions make it difficult to impose the new standards of teaching on the “tenured” teachers, often making it difficult for veteran teachers to adapt to new strategies. These political challenges make it difficult for both students and teachers, including school administrations.

The Information Age:

Today’s children spend too much time on smartphones, laptops then books. Even some schools have made mandatory these smart gadgets for students learning. Kids these days don’t even know the importance of physical books.

When teachers give them an assignment, they search the topic online; often copying and pasting information, merely reading the title. Oftentimes, students may not be engaged in the material, if the teacher does not employ effective technology resources.

In many cases, teachers are unable to keep tabs on all student activity, when students use tablets or laptops. Therefore, frequently students start surfing the web and doing time-wasting activities.

Technology integration offers students a significant advantage in many ways. However, textbooks are essential to any educational institution, and no technology can replace that. Ultimately, What have they learned in these ways? Nothing.

Student-Teacher Relationship

There is less interaction between student and teacher. Being a people professional teacher spends a significant amount of time facing different persons. If the teacher doesn’t behave well with his students then it is tough for children to overcome educational difficulties.

Teachers have big responsibilities on their shoulders educating future generations. His profession doesn’t want him to fill up the whiteboard. He must listen to the student’s problems and teach them to overcome his fears. If the teacher doesn’t perform that way, then the result is the failure of the number of students.

School Safety:

Children’s safety has become a significant concern nowadays. Parents want their children to learn in a safe environment. Teachers should not suffer stress and emotional instability from the constant school shootings in the back of their heads. The schools should have a proper security system. They should ensure that none of the students carry any dangerous weapons.

In several years there have been different incidents in which a student walks in and starts shooting, resulting in numerous casualties. After such an event, parents are afraid to send their loved ones to school, and teachers often have PTSD. As a result, these facts offer another significant disadvantage in the American educational system.

Common Core Standards:

The same type of curriculum, and exams, for everyone is not a formula for success. Every child is not the same, and everyone differs in their learning abilities and learning styles. Assessing students through different exams is ineffective.

Most of the brilliant students are lost within the bureaucracy and the standards that teachers must follow. It is not possible for everyone to be perfect in every course. Some students are absolute, or some are perfect in the sciences. Schools should give student choice that they can learn.

The PISA results:

Program for International Student Assessment (PISA):

This test is designed to assess the educational systems in 65 countries and rank them. This exam is an essential cross-national exam, which every year, evaluating Reading, Math, and Science, among other areas. The most recent results of the PISA, from 2015, have shown that the US has an unimpressive 38th out of 71 countries in math and 24th in science.

Among the 35 members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which sponsors the PISA initiative, the USA ranked 30th in math and 19th in science. The highest-scoring countries were in East Asia. Students from China Shanghai, Singapore, South Korea, and Japan were at the top.

Conclusion

One thing that works around the globe is investing in great teachers by choosing them carefully, training them rigorously, and putting them in a classroom for a least a year with great teachers. We’ve tried a lot of things in the US, but we’ve never gotten serious about teacher training and support. If we think teaching is important, intellectually demanding work, we should act like it the way we do with other jobs.

References

Desilver, D. (2017). The US is falling behind academically. This is why.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/02/us-students-are-lagging-behind-academically-heres-why
PBS. (2003, December 4). Retrieved from PBS: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/daily-videos/u-s-education-system-lags-behind-other-countries/
Ripley, A. (2017). Why other countries’ kids are beating ours.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/sep/07/us-education-spending-finland-south-korea
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/2017/10/19/ripley-education-kids-outperform-countries/106783592/
Rushe, D. (2018). The US spends more on education than other countries. Why is it falling behind?