It's already a known fact that the U.S. education system has recently been plagued with several issues and challenges that need to be promptly addressed. However, political leaders failed to give proper attention and emphasis on education platforms and proposals.
In an open letter to the next U.S. president, The Gates Foundation Program president Allan Golston urged the upcoming leader of the nation to give importance to education sector since it's the country's "great equalizer." Golston also emphasized the need to provide better education programs, a previous Parent Herald report notes.
"America's unique strength lies in our diversity, because the right to equal opportunity and prosperity for all is woven into our nation's fabric," Golston wrote Black Enterprise quotes. "We know that the great equalizer in America is education, because it provides the surest path to opportunity and social mobility."
Since American political leaders and hopefuls failed to provide concrete education proposals, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine's John E. Butler and David G. Gerleman pointed out in their "Letter to the Editor" article that was published in The Des Moines Register that the United States could learn a lot from the education systems of other nations. In particular, Butler and Gerleman underscored the advantage of the education system in Germany.
What Americans Can Learn In German Education System
In the article, Germans are reportedly among the most educated while Germany is considered as one of the countries with the highest standard of living worldwide. That's why, Butler and Gerleman stressed that America could learn a lot from the German education system, which was instigated in 1840 and has been successful for more than a century.
"The advantage of the German system is its recognition of the diversity of aspirations and academic aptitude in a population and the need to match those with the needs of the society," Butler and Gerleman wrote. "America does not have a monopoly on knowledge or theories on the best way to teach our children. In a global environment, we need to benefit from developments in other countries, regardless of their political beliefs or system of government."
California Education Ditches Test-And-Results Driven Programs
In other related U.S. education news, California has reportedly rejected the national trend toward the use of standardized test to evaluate schools and teachers. According to Deseret News, the state eliminated specific data systems and the connection between "teacher evaluations and student test scores."
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