The dummying down of Americas children?
449309
Absolutely.  Religious bickering amongst people ignorant of the difference between scientific and legal and common definitions of "theory" is a downright foolish, yet these are the people making policy!!  You know it's endemic when it has reached that level...\n\nWhat SHOULD we focus on?\n\n1. MATH: This is the source of technological edge in the world.  When we trail India and China and more than 20 other countries in this area, we are BEGGING to get whacked.\n\n2. Literacy:  6th grade reading ability is no longer sufficient.  Composition skills are, as you can see on this site, abombinable.  Mean, BASIC SPELLING!!??  Reading comprehension and study skills should not be difficult to grasp either.\n\n3. Science: Sadly, many students apparently don't even know what this is, let alone know how to explain why evolution is a scientific theory and intelligent design is not.  Some scientists act pompus about it, but I see it as a reflection of the quality of science education in this country.\n\n4. Ethics:  Some moron decided this shouldn't be taught in school.  Very stupid.  This should be a required class and could be a religious outlet for some while perhaps learning how atheists COULD actually have morality without religion.\n\n5. Debate and logic:  This is NOT "uh-huh vs. nuh-huh!"  Why our presidential debates and rationales are so friggin lame (unless you'd rather see something closer to the WWF).\n\n6. History: I am SHOCKED that people don't know the connection between the Salem Witch trials and why the US has a seperation of church and state.  Perhaps there is too much time wasted on historical fantasies and not enough on historical realities.\n\nLast, but not least, we really need to pay more attention to how we REALLY compare to other countries.  Sure, Japan and China and Germany have sophisticated ways of padding their educational systems' results by sorting out the unmotivated, lackluster students into second-class vocational schools, but if China is cranking out many times more Engineering students and India is cranking out many times more Engineering students, then, Houston, we have a problem...
637572
Because americans don't take anything as seriously as other countries. The USA is very culturally different than say... Japan or Russia. In those countries families are a lot closer and education is a very important thing, so in a way doing bad would be like a crime.
894146
Yeah...welcome to the land of the free. This type of conduct is why we Americans are great. Thats why we have these lovely things like Columbine and a host of other student killing students over the years. You see my African friend...just because an American kid goes to school doesn't mean that he or she learn anything. I mean why should they? That's an adult responsibility.\n\nYou're better than them all. Every last one of them. My advice to you is this. Absorb all of the education you can. Take advantage of any oppurtunity the United States of America gives you and run with it. You'll see. The best part of finishing high scholl is all the worms whov'e treated you lousy are divorced, alcoholics or working in dead end jobs making Ipods for some company. making them mind you....not designing because that takes brains.\nMark my words....you'll be splitting atoms or looking for a cure for cancer and after a good days work you'll stop in the local 7-11 for a couple gallons of gas and a cup of coffee and guess who'll be making ice slushies behind the counter? Yep...thats right! An old class mate.\nHead down to the local restaraunt with you spouse for dinner and guess who'll be working the valet lot? Oooo..another classmate. Finally...you get a flat tire on the way home. Call for a tow truck and guess who shows up to bust the tire and change it for you? Yep...you guessed it.\n\nDon't give up hope. You're hands above the rest. You have class and brains. As hard as it may be you must remember you're dealing with people of a lesser intelligence level.
803734
Consequences!! When are we really going to start teaching that to our kids again. Do our prisons have to run over. Does the rest of the world have to support us because of lack of education has left us without qualified people for today's technology? Does our federal budget have to increase to unpayable because of entitlement mentallity? You have found the answer to so many problems in America today.  There are many things we will all pay for because of consequences.
302335
Everyone is too wrapped up in the silly thing called TV. It dumbs people down bad. Parents don't care about their kids as much. Schools are a horrible place for learning. So yes, our society is getting dumber and dumber. I travel frequently to other countries and we are truly dumb... and laughed at as well.
179939
The public education system really does a number on what kids think without teaching basic English, basic economics, and basic citizenship.  So the worst exploiters are our public school teachers.
178287
They do this in part because they are not mature enough to deal with the real world.  I'm not being critical of them. I have too many problems of my own.  These "kids" were not taught a great deal of personal responsibility as children.  That rests squarely on their parents shoulders. Now they are having children and have less chance of teaching their own children responsibility.  It will likely get worse before it gets better.  Some day maybe parents will step up to the plate.
539657
I heard the long version on NPR. I think the speaker is correct. We want to be like lake woebegone. We want all the children to be above average. That is not going to happen any measure of a population that is done right will turn up a bell curve. Reported grades no longer match the curve. Therefore grades are being inflated.
655268
basically, yes.\n\nin many cases, it starts with parents brainwashing their kids.  (which should be illegal)...\n\nbut at some point, kids grow up and should learn to think for themselves, and take responsibility for their own ignorance and change it.
27204
It depends entirly on the child.If they don't wan to learn and mess around no ammount of good schooling will do anything.
502037
Not in this day and age.  Kids are just too well informed of all aspects of life to be innocent or ignorant of anything.
756483
Dummycrats...Time to start weening them out of kindergarten and into 1st grade.
816563
Without a doubt, the quality of education offered in American schools has plummeted in the last 25 years.  Parents from all walks of life, presented with failing grades by their undereducated children, reacted by forcing schools to lower their standards.  The result has been new generations of young people who, as adults, lack even fundamental knowledge of science, mathmatics, and linguistics.  It does not bode well for the future of science and technology, let alone education, in America.\n\nThe causes are manifold.  Parents, both working long hours, who are less and less involved in their children's lives.  High standards of living causing entertainment to be more valued than work.  Lack of role models.  The Internet.  Reality television.  Computer games.  Hollywood.  Consumerism.  Your evaluation is as good as mine.\n\nBush is not the product of such an average American household.  He's from a driven, ambitious, wealthy family, and an older generation, which valued knowledge, and whose collective work ethic still drives our economy. \n\nStill, you have a point.  He is more representative of the younger  generations coming into adulthood now, than he is of his own.  The political machine that put him into power was more responsible for his success than he was.  Once there, in the limelight, his shortcomings became glaringly obvious.  Was his re-election a result of his appeal to the younger crowd?  I doubt it.  They do not turn out in large numbers to vote.  Their poor education also fails to teach them about the importance of good government, and civic responsibility.\n\nI'm afraid Bush was elected, and re-elected, for reasons that have far more to do with American's fears and biases, than for his intellect or capabilites.  We, and too much of the rest of the world, will suffer the result for some time to come.
181385
To say that Americans act childlish is really a childish question.  Some do, of course.  But many do not.  But then, that holds true for peoiple living in France, England, Germany, Russia, China, Japan . . . etc.  It has absolutely nothing to do with the country you are from.
991120
Well that's easy.....they're stupid and needy...like babies ^.^ so obviously they are babies....just think...a world run by snot nosed smelly kids in diapers :p and that's a fact....o wait it already is...we have a 2yr old for a president that good 4 nothin bush Jr.
406722
Yes i have lost faith in the American education system by reading some of these questions. When i went to school during the mid 70s Thur the 80s they taught you how to spell and proper grammar.I do not know how some of these young kids make it through college, because they must write reports with proper spelling and grammar. Sigh, they are going to be our future leaders.
1154104
Read 1984 by George Orwell.  The schools are dumbing down our children.  Check the spelling words for a high school senior.  The govt is turning our children against us.  Can't even spank your children anymore.  The list goes on and on.  The goal is total govt control, generation after generation is being groomed for that future.  Give it another 30 years.