Sunday marks the start of a new year of chances for America. In it, we hope for the recovery of the economy, a severe drop in unemployment, the resolution of the Syrian uprisings and an end to the European debt crisis, among many other pressing national and international matters. It is unlikely they will all be resolved; perhaps only a few will. Despite all of our concerns, there is one national issue which hasn't been in the spotlight for many years now: education.
You might say that the economy, unemployment or the stifling debt of the nation are all more important than education. I strongly disagree. America's position in the world is decaying, however slowly, and while we're still on top in terms of GDP, we may not hold that position for long. We need to ensure our dominance in the fields of the future. The only way to do this is to ensure the adults of the future, namely the kids of today, are readily prepared for the pressing challenges that they will be faced with, because we won't fix them all. Even climate change alone is a depressingly large task, and we have barely started to curb our emissions as a nation.
My solution? Make 2012 a year of education reform. Get America out of the middle of the pack for math, science and English education, and start preparing the next generation for the challenges of tomorrow. This is certainly not an easy job - no number of education professionals will be able to solve it perfectly the first time around. But we have examples, and glaring problems.
Singapore, Hong Kong (China) and Finland all dominated on recent international PISA tests. There are consistencies between them - the fact that education is a national priority, for example. In Singapore, education is treated as part of the economy, rather than part of social services. There's a good reason to treat it like such - the next generation of educated tech professionals is as much a part of the economy as Wall Street is, since they will create the next generation of startups and fill the upcoming technological jobs.
China is a bit tougher on education - Amy Chua's 'Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother' gives a fascinating insight into traditional Chinese parenting, where teachers hold an honorary position in society. To Chinese kids, disappointing your teacher is a matter of family concern. In Finland, like China, teaching holds a high position in society. A high percentage of their college graduates go on to become teachers, and it is considered a very good career choice. They are on a higher pay scale, and are well respected.
The examples from these three countries alone provide America with several starting points, but there are numerous other examples which can be found simply by browsing through the New York Times or reading the new book by Thomas Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum, 'That Used to Be Us'. The details are not as important as the overall culture though - education currently is being 'swept under the rug', when it comes to debates about national priorities. It's our job to pull it back out.
In 2012, America needs to undergo another Sputnik moment, this time for education. This time, however, it won't just be Russia surpassing us, it will be much of the industrialized world.
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