“An Ancestral Books, LLC Article.”

 

A Plea For Better Education

 

    I had the fortune of receiving a quality education at every level here in the United States. I received 12 grades of private school, 4 years of private high school, and achieved a Bachelors Degree with high honors from a brick and mortar campus school in Chicago. Education is a buzzword that is heavily loaded with both negative and positive connotations. It saddens me that our youth are not getting the education they deserve in these times. It’s no surprise that the current U.S. economy is in dire straits. School budgets and funding at every level in our country is at an all time low. We struggle to find the resources to pay for private schools, while teachers at the public school level struggle to pay for their supplies and materials for their classrooms. What this otherwise tragic fiscal atmosphere translates for those over 18 who have survived the public school system despite it’s dangerous underfunding is the need to invest in a quality four year degree. For most Americans what this means is taking out massive amounts of student loans from the Federal Government or taking out money from a private lender. What’s frustrating for some is the prospect of investing in their intellectual and professional development only to face the reality of possibly putting themselves in great financial debt years after they graduate from school. Many issues are interwoven in the complex fabric of our economic and political struggles in the United States.

 

     It’s the opinion of myself along with many hard working Americans that the Federal government is not making student education at every level a priority in their budgeting. At its highest academic level much attention needs to be paid to college tuition funding. Federal Pell Grant funding increases are essential for forwarding the academic pursuits of millions of students nationwide. In an economy where having a Bachelor’s Degree is a bare minimum requirement, it’s essential that our youth be afforded the proper grants and funding to make their dreams come true. Be these grants need based or based on the academic talents of the students, change must be made to ensure a brighter future ahead for our students. Add to the fact that tuition increases are at an all time high and it makes it even more challenging for young students who don’t have the financial means to achieve their academic dreams. Being at the mercy of Federal Pell Grants and Government funding is not the norm for other countries. For instance in the Republic of Ireland education at all levels including primary, secondary, and higher education is free to all students applying from the European Union. The European Union includes several participating nations making education in this country a reality for multiple international students. In essence the Government in Ireland pays for its youth’s education at every milestone of development. Ireland is not alone. Greece and Argentina also provide free education at all levels, which include college and university degrees. According to Pascal D. Forgione, Jr., Ph.D. the U.S. Commissioner of Education Statistics, education scores of the United States are embarrassingly poor in comparison to other countries. This raises another complex issue and the question of why our students are not out ranking other nations. The U.S. Government has the responsibility not only to offer college level grants but also funding for all levels of education in order to ensure that our future generations are competitively prepared for the world. The issue according to Dr. Forgione’s research seems to be that teachers in the United State are not only underfunded, but also undereducated themselves. Among teachers of high school science and biology classes for instance approximately 31% of these teachers do not have at the bare minimum a degree with even a minor in biology or science. Add to the fact that other departments like music, English and the arts are underpaid, and you see that this is a problem that must be addressed immediately. Countries like the Netherlands, which offers free education at all, levels ranked the highest in standardized Math scores for 12th graders. Having said that, the United States students at grade 12 received an extremely low ranking in comparison to other countries. This low ranking series of test scores in subjects like math and science is sad and must be remedied by proper Government funding.  Education is something our founding fathers fought for. Our country was built with the promise of a better tomorrow. In these economic times it is essential that we look towards a brighter future for our children, and further generations to come. We must build a rock solid foundation of higher education funding in the United States for students at all levels. We must equip our youth to be their very best at every level of skill and talent. The pen is truly mightier than the sword. And in an age filled with countless unfortunate examples of extremism and detrimental political strife, education is still the best defense for our future generations. Education is not only a great strength to have in professional survival but also at every level of human performance from peace negotiations to battle strategy. Where would our country be without the great advances in technology that educated Americans have developed over the last 100 years? We would still be in the dark ages if not for the achievements of great minds at every level of academia. Where will tomorrow’s great leaders and innovators go to school? Will they have enough money to even accomplish that? Given hard financial times the value of education helps citizens strive to exceed expectations and work even harder using their intellect and talents from years of positive academic reinforcement to better their world view and thereby improve our cultures situation.  It is thereby imperative that the United States place at the top of their agenda better schools, better teachers, and more available funding for our youth. With education our Nation will come out of the dark with a renewed pride and optimism like never before.

 

                                                                                                         Written by Rodriguez Maindron

 

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