The U.S. education system is not preparing today’s students to achieve in the world of tomorrow. Our society is becoming ever-more dependent on technology. So if American students are to compete in the job market of the future, they must be competent in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Chris Talgo
Unfortunately, national test scores show American students are not excelling in science, engineering and mathematics. By contrast, students in nations such as China are making gains in these fields. If America is to remain competitive with China and Russia in the global race to advance artificial intelligence, it is imperative that we emphasize STEM education.
As a former high school social studies teacher, I know that education is not solely about preparing students for the workforce. American students must have a thorough understanding of our nation’s history and the ability to understand literature. The fundamental goal of education is to teach students how to think critically.
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But far too many of today’s students are failing to meet even the minimum standards for the hard sciences in our technology-driven society. That's why America’s schools must pivot and prioritize a STEM-focused curriculum.
Students at dozens of U.S. high schools participated last month in the first round of an international competition in economics. The top five American students will travel to Olympia, Greece, later this year to compete against students from other countries.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, the U.S. education system did a much better job preparing students for success by offering classes specifically designed to aid in the development of work skills. For instance, virtually all high schools offered a “shop class” to students who might pursue a career in one of the many trades. These classes, known as career tech education, prepared millions of students for in-demand jobs in welding, carpentry and masonry.
Moreover, those students developed a set of real-world skills that could deploy for the rest of their lives.
In the late 20th century, education leaders deemphasized learning for the trades, focusing instead on soft skills such as communication and teamwork. This decades-long experiment as a failure.
America’s education system is now failing on both ends of the spectrum. Not only are the vast majority of today’s students woefully unprepared for a career in coding or other technology-oriented fields because they lack knowledge of mathematics or science, but they also are falling behind in reading and writing.
This begs the question: What are students actually learning? The answer is disturbing: Students are learning how to do the bare minimum to get a passing grade.
When I was teaching social studies at an above-average public high school in South Carolina less than a decade ago, I was shocked that most students could not perform basic math, most could not read at grade level, and the majority struggled to write a coherent paragraph.
Tragically, we are now teaching our kids that math is subjective in coddled classrooms where the goal is not to hurt a student’s self-esteem. But that won't work in the real world.
Eventually, these students are in for a rude awakening when they realize that objectivity and results, not their feelings, matter most.
The good news is that we have time to right the ship. By aggressively promoting a STEM-based education, we can ensure that the next generation of American students is primed for success.
