From Education Week:
"Scholar Gives His View on Global Competitiveness and School Reform
There's a well-produced and intriguing video circulating around some of the listservs featuring Michigan State University education professor Yong Zhao and his views on the nation's education reform strategy as it relates to global competitiveness. He's generally critical of the accountability movement, which, he argues, places too much value on test scores at the expense of creativity, innovation, and encouragement of students to follow their passions.
What makes Zhao's perspective so compelling is that he is a product of the Chinese education system and speaks rather passionately on the right and wrong paths toward American competitiveness."
Bob Compton's Comments on Dr. Zhao's film
Dr Zhao covers a lot of ground in his video. We agree on some things and disagree on others.
The most important thing on which I hope he is wrong is that China will change its education.
Say what you will about China's school system, somehow they have amassed a $1.5 trillion trade surplus with the US and they are the largest buyer of US Treasury securities, owning nearly $1 Trillion. (more than twice what we owe Japan)
Without China, the Obama trillion dollar economic bailout would be impossible. China is our banker thanks in part to their more than $2 trillion foreign currency reserves and they are our supplier of just about every manufactured item we buy.
As the largest debtor nation on Earth, America has $12 trillion in debt - over 60% of GDP. I'm glad someone is smart enough to generate surpluses to fund our debt.
Oh, and their economic engine also lifted 400 million people out of near starvation. Oh, and they have the world's leading position in innovative battery technology and electric cars - Warren Buffet put $250 million into BYD, the only technology investment he's ever made.
And Chinese patent filings in China, the EU and the US are growing exponentially versus linearly for the US. Some creativity is occurring.
One point Dr. Zhao and I agree on is NCLB is a disaster and should be abolished. It is crazy to test students - who have no consequences for test results - and measure teachers and schools on those results. NCLB, while right perhaps in concept of accountability, is a catastrophe.
In business, one learns everyone needs to be on the same win/loss axis or behaviors are distorted at best or become fraudulent at worst.
While I agree the 21st century belongs to the innovative, creative and visionary - it is hard to be creative say with nano-technologies or alternative energy if one never gets beyond algebra and biology in high school. (55% of US high school grads)
The industries and most of the jobs of this century will all require higher cognitive skills (left-brain) as well as higher creative skills (right-brain). When only 70% of US kids graduate from high school and when only 3% of African American 12th graders are proficient in basic math - I just don't see how they land those creative, high wage jobs.
For example, I now have SEO specialists in marketing in every one of my companies - a job that didn't exist 5 years ago. While creativity is helpful - a deep understanding of statistics and enjoyment of data analytics is a must. Algebra in high school and a business math class in college won't get you the job.
I disagree that we should let children simply "follow their passion" - a solid foundation across a wide array of disciplines is critical to allow one as an adult to be innovative and creative at a world-competitive level.
To be among the creative, innovative class in business in the 21st century, I believe by 12th grade students should have studied Calculus, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, World History, English Grammar and Composition, Computer Programming, World Geography, Music, Art, Mandarin or Farsi or Spanish and Global Economics.
Suppose a child's passion isn't Physics, can they skip it? I would argue NO. In 30 years of starting companies, I've had to take on a lot of tasks that I hated - accounting for example - but they had to be done or the company failed. No one has the luxury in life of only doing the fun things - except perhaps professors at colleges of education.
I believe k-12 extra-curricular activities should let children sample Drama, Robotics, Debate, Elocution, Model UN, Moot Court as well as an array of athletics.
This generation will face more competitors, who are better educated and hungrier than ever. I don't think we can over-educate them.
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