[ExI] Americans are poor drivers

[Mirco Romanato]

Stathis Papaioannou ha scritto:
> 2009/7/13 Mirco Romanato <painlord2k at libero.it>:
> 
>> In the same time in Taiwan:
>> http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2009/07/09/2003448208
>>
>>> At 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.

> But you will note that the Taiwanese schools are public schools.

Like the public schools of Washington D.C. and the horrible schools that
I cited.
Taiwan spend around 5.02% of their GDP in education where the US spend
around 7% of their GDP. Strangely, Taiwan appear to obtain more with less.
http://www.ccsindia.org/policy/ed/Edustats.doc
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/edu_tot_exp_as_of_gdp-education-total-expenditure-gdp

In Taiwan, the class are larger, the school are larger, etc.



> If
> the schools in one country or state are better than in another (as
> they will be - there isn't just one way of doing things) then less
> well performing schools should take note and improve themselves.

Do you know why they don't take note and don't improve?
Do you believe that a teacher barely able to read or to do math would be
hired there and never dismissed?
Why the violence and the unruliness of some schools in the US is unheard
in Japan or China or Taiwan?

> This is, or ought to be, a point of national importance.

National, sure.
But it is not a point of personal importance for so many people in the
US; either teachers, principals, students and parent of students.

> You seem to be
> claiming that governments and parents are spending money on public
> education when they don't care about education;

Government spend money on public education. Where is that parents have
any say in how government officials spend the money? Or in hiring and
firing the staff?

> but if that were true
> why not just make education private and optional, and either give the
> taxpayers a large tax cut (boosting electoral appeal) or spend the
> money on more important things, like palaces and private jets for the
> politicians?

Because, if you keep education public, you have the excuse to spend
money to build schools, hire teachers and janitors, etc. and the excuse
to tax people. No public schools no excuse to tax people.
Tax are important, as they are used to pay for hire people, that will,
in change, vote for the party representing them. Or the tax will pay for
the buildings of schools that will be built by friends of the friends of
the politicians (and they will be grateful funding future elections,
selling mansions at lower prices to the same politics, giving direct
bribes, etc.).

Taking the money from the people will prevent them from having the means
to buy private education and will starve the private education sector
for all apart the wealthy. So, after a few years, people will start to
believe that private education is too costly, there are not enough
schools to serve all, etc.

Mirco