Michael,

 

I think one of the problems of our education is the existance of too many variables, including the levels of funding, parents control, etc., which ifluence one constant - teaching. As a teacher, I see three major areas of concern: 1) ratio of the time students are taught to the time they participate in various activities (in High School, my second part of the day was continiously given away to clubs, games, etc...); 2) ratio of the time the students are taught to the time they spent in various assessments (justification of school funding); 3) ratio of the mandatory subject to electives. 

 

By parents control I mean parents' choices which teachers have a little control of. It does not make sense to me to enroll a student in the 10th grade English and the 9th grade English at the same time because the student has failed the 9th grade in the first place, for example. 

 

"How can other countries claim 99% literacy?" 

 

This is a very good question. The best answer could be to invite specialists from the countries who claim that into the discussion.

 


>From my almost 20 years of teaching in the Ukraine, I would like to point out those characteristics of education which could probably be considered the leading causes of literacy:


 

1) Existence of a state mandatory curriculum, with a heavy accent on the Reading across it.

2) All extra curricular activities are _after school_  activities.

3) Annual state-stipulated exams (some written, some oral) 

4) Specialized state schools for children with disabilities with state hired, state trained staff.

5) Only state trained teachers, with at least a Bachelor degree, are allowed to teach and only in the field of the primary specialization. 

   

The best way to answer this question, though, would be the invitation of specialists from the countries, who claim 99% literacy, to share their experiences.

 

 

Tatyana Exum

SpEd Instructor

Lake City Correctional Facility

Lake City, FL

 


  		 	   		  
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