A recent report indicates that ACT test scores in the United States dropped to a 30-year low this past year. This is a dangerous trend. We are in a very competitive world with our adversaries who are turning out engineers in math majors at unprecedented rates.
The high standards required in countries such as China are significant. They lead to greater achievement and they are starting to leave us in the dust.
Our response should be to raise our standards as well, and to demand more of our schools and our students. Instead, we’re doing exactly the opposite. We are more concerned about the students’ feelings and the need to create a safe space against failure.
So the crazies running our educational systems are now advocating doing away with any standards at all so no student’s self-esteem is somehow impacted.
They’re not doing these young people any favors. We are fooling ourselves if we believe giving these watered-down, meaningless degrees are helping these children, or our society as a whole.
New York educators have lowered passing grade thresholds so that they could make it appear that more kids are passing and that our schools are flourishing. In some cases, they’ve now made Regents exams optional. Take the test and if you do well brag about it. If you did lousy, just say that you want it expunged.
America flourished over the past two centuries because of its work ethic and strive for excellence. We flourished thanks to a philosophy of equality, not equity. Equality meant any American resident, regardless of their economic status, had a chance to invent the next great thing or strive to be the valedictorian of his or her class. It didn’t guarantee an equal outcome. But that seems to be the cause celeb for today. If they just eliminate standards, everyone will be equally dumbed down. What kind of goal is that for society?