Education Reform

December 8, 2004

Education Reform

Education reform means to make education better by removing faults and defects. True educators are always thinking of more effective ways to enhance and democratize the way children learn. With the continuous change of growing population, economics, culture, family, and global communication, there has to be continuous educational reforms to keep the society abreast with these changes. One of education's early reformers is John Dewey. Dewey operated and experimental school where he wanted "to discover in administration, selection of subject matter, methods of learning teaching, and discipline, how a school could become a cooperative community while developing in individuals their own capacities and identifying their own needs." (Dewey's Laboratory School page XII) another education, Harold Howe II in his book "Thinking about Our Kids," reiterates that families and communities are as important as schools in the education of our children. He also talks about the need for new approaches to financing schools, more attention to changing classroom routine in particular, and for better understanding of, and respect for the many races and cultures that make up our society. Regardless of the era in which education reform is thought of, the number one priority is the children.

Although Dewey's' experiment was done over a century ago, the lessons learned then can apply in today's world. Children are the same, they go through the same stages of development and must learn how to solve some kind of problems if they are to live in the world of today. The country is bursting at its seams with the population growth. With the growth comes a very diverse group of people. People migrate with their culture. Language has become one of the many barriers in the prevention of literacy. When our mentors wrote or planned school reform, the rate of population growth was not as rapid it is now. Migrants then tried to learn the languages spoken in their new land. Today we have programs to foster children who do not have English as their first language, but are these programs successful? Many of the students are taught in their first language (usually Spanish) but then have to sit the standardized state examination in the English language. This situation could be termed as "unexpected difficulties and potential not previously recognized." (Dewey Laboratory School Page 97) This is an example to show that test scores in Language Arts and Mathematics should not be the priority in a school's life. There should be a balanced curriculum where every subject has its equal share of time and importance. Politics and economic situation could cause a lack of such a curriculum as it might be seen as too expensive to change or enhance the curriculum to match the every growing population of migrants.

Politics has somewhat tarnish the economy of education. United States of America has had presidents who claim to see education as their priority. They sometimes try not to reform the education system, but different presidents have different ideas or agendas. At one time America was behind its global counterparts in Science, therefore the focus was to gear the curriculum towards producing students in the science field. Not all students are scientific minded so the emphasis would be shifted. Of Dewey's approach to learning was adapted to work with the young minds, there would have been more scientifically inclined students. Children should be allowed to explore freely, think, and define their own conclusion. This would have built on their inquiring minds. Since some children tend to lean toward practical activities, curriculum should be so geared to give the students the opportunity to have activities that would help to develop their curiosity. In order to have these equipment some schools would have to be in good economic standing. There are