[ExI] Americans are poor drivers

[Mirco Romanato]

Stathis Papaioannou ha scritto:
> 2009/7/12 Mirco Romanato <painlord2k at libero.it>:
>> Stathis Papaioannou ha scritto:

>> The fact that private providers exist after a century or more is 
>> testament that free and good rarely come together.

> Public education is not free, it's paid for, and it's a major drain 
> on taxpayers.


Not free and, not strangely, of a very poor quality.

A few example here:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1198827/Traditional-haberdashery-forced-turn-away-9-10-staff--add-up.html

> Colin Bamberger, 82, whose parents founded the Remnant Shop in 1944,
>  said that less than one in ten applicants are now able to solve
> basic maths problems without turning to a calculator or till. In the
> past, around eight in ten made the grade. Mr Bamberger, who stills
> runs one of the family's two stores, yesterday blamed the decline on
> falling education standards and over-reliance on the pocket
> calculator. He said: 'Most of the youngsters who come to us for jobs
> are unemployable because they are not numerate.


> Last year, it emerged more than half of trainee teachers needed 
> multiple attempts to pass a basic numeracy test. Although the exam 
> was originally introduced to drive up standards, it emerged that 
> trainees could take it as many times as they like. One reportedly 
> took the test 28 times before passing.

I'm sure a private school unable to teach basic maths would not survive
for long. Nor they would hire teacher unable to do basic maths.

Or a school that let students on students violence for fear of
retaliation: http://www.libertyforall.net/?p=2818

In the same time in Taiwan:
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2009/07/09/2003448208

> At Dan Fong Elementary and ESTMUE, I observed six excellent practices
> worth adopting by US schools:
> 
> 1. Serve nutritious lunches: Unlike in the US, Taiwanese school
> lunches do not consist of processed foods high in fat and sugar.
> Instead, they generally consist of rice, soup, meat, fruit and
> vegetables. Studies show that improving nutrition boosts academic
> performance.
> 
> 2. Keep students active: While US schools have cut back on or
> completely eliminated physical education and recess, Taiwanese
> schools provide physical education classes twice a week and 10-minute
> recess periods four times a day. Both Taiwanese elementary schools I
> visited had athletic tracks, which are rare in US elementary schools.
> Studies show that increased physical activity leads to higher
> academic performance.
> 
> 3. Require school uniforms: School uniforms are the norm in Taiwanese
> public schools. Only 15 percent of US public schools require them.
> Studies show that school uniforms raise academic performance, while
> lowering violence, theft and the negative effects of peer pressure.
> 
> 4. Use hands-on learning: I observed more hands-on learning in the
> Taiwanese schools than I have in US schools. For example, Taiwanese
> students went on a field trip to a castle they studied in social
> studies; they collected local plants and used them to make a dye in
> science; and they worked with compasses and rulers in math. Studies
> show that hands-on learning involves students in real-world
> activities and thereby improves their academic performance.
> 
> 5. Use interdisciplinary learning: Based on my observations, US
> teachers tend to teach one curricular discipline at a time, while
> Taiwanese teachers try to incorporate several into a lesson. For
> example, I observed a science teacher and art teacher in Taiwan
> collaborate in guiding students through a science project that
> involved drawing. Studies show that interdisciplinary learning helps
> students apply their knowledge in various contexts and thus enhances
> their academic performance.
> 
> 6. Instill personal responsibility: In US schools, janitors clean up
> after the students. In Taiwanese schools, the students clean up after
> themselves. Cleanup time is a daily ritual wherein Taiwanese students
> clean the school building, sweep the school grounds and dump trash.
> Studies show that students who become more responsible tend to
> improve their academic performance.

In Australia things are not always good:
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,25753048-3102,00.html

Mirco