itsablog

the student becomes the master
last modified: Friday, September 29, 2006 (7:09:59 AM)
Related somewhat to my previous post.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/09/28/education.india.reut/index.html

Linked above is a story of how tutors in China and India are providing better bang for the buck teaching American schoolchildren things like math and .... English. Yes, that's right. Their command of a second (or third? or more?) language is better than your average child's first. Granted, the article goes on to mention that many of the tutors have masters degrees in the subjects they teach, but this raises an important point.

When we are failing to provide our kids training in their native language that can be obtained -- at apparent profit -- for $2.50/hr overseas, something is very wrong. Say what you want about gross miscalculations of economic inequity and attacking easy targets, but the fact remains that the quick double blind test in the article (tutoring vs. no tutoring) seems indicative of a larger cancer stunting our intellectual capital growth.

You lose, American public education system.
re: the student becomes the masterFriday, September 29, 2006 - 10:32:46 AM
ginga123

i was diagnosed with ADD and sociophobia at the tender age of 4 years old. throughout my primary educational career, until high school and college, i was tutored privately in both reading comprehension and math while taking Ritalin 2x a day for 9 years. i never had a problem with english which was a suprise to teachers and my parent. what bothers me the most from the interesting article you linked is that parents are not being interpersonal with their children and taking the necessary responsibility to teach their children the basics anymore--such as reading, speech, and even potty training. They lean on our failing educational system to do the work for them because our society abuses convenience as a commodity. i do not support the underpaying of doctorate tutors and our society outsourcing everything from work to technology because we are creating a prime setting for another Great Depression.