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Message: <blockquote data-quote="d20fool" data-source="post: 2038256" data-attributes="member: 5956">Science and Math in USI'm a teacher of 5th grade students, in my 5th year, and the President of our local NEA chapter. I keep my ear to the ground about what is happening on the scence internationally.It is hard to draw comparisions, because there is NO standization among tests for either countries or even states.  The standard students are judged by differ from nation to nation.  Experts try to reconcile these differences, but it makes it impossible to make a simple comparison.  Having said that, here are some of my impressions.America is behind in science and math.  Science education suffers from poor representation in the elementary levels (ironically, when students like science the most) and many schools have low science requirements to get a diploma.  Further, America suffers like no other country from religious agenda.  Although attempts to force religious agenda in the classroom almost universally fail, schools often remove ANYTHING that smacks of evolution, fossil record, geologic time scale, and anthropology as a result.  I teach science to two classes, and I tread very carefully through these topics; although I don't avoid them.  Our district has NO evolution curriculum that I am aware of.When it comes to math, many countries emphasize it more than we do.  Americans take the attitude that math is not necessary, which is unfortunate.  Other countries do tend to focus on math in the abstract, the way most of us are taught in school.  This is perhaps not the best way.  "New" methods (used for decades in some countries) emphasize the application of math in everyday life.  I think these programs will meet with great success if allowed to flourish, but many are mistrustful because they think there's only one way to do double-digit additiono or long subtraction, for example.America is AHEAD in literacy, contrary to popular belief.  We start students reading long before other countries even start and offer formal training.  In Russia, parents teach their children to read (which means some have serious trouble) and in Europe many countries don't start until seven or so.  Japan, famous for academic rigor, does have problems.  Although students are followed very carefully, Japan is just becoming aware that some students have learning disabilities.  Japan's top students shine, but they have many failures.I ALL respects, New Zealand and Australia are KICKING OUR ACADEMIC @$$.  They have an aggressive, student-centered style of education that they have been pursuing for over 30 years and they do an excellent job.  Their minorities benefit more than any other  country's does.Just my impressions,John "d20fool" McCarty</blockquote>

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