Why Do People Hate American Public Schools? (YubsGetsDubs ft. Professor Dilan)
We're here to give you our middle-schooler perspectives, sarcastic humor and all.
Photo Source: Frinkiac
This week, I’m having a conversation with my friend to understand why public schools in America get such a bad reputation. We’ll be exploring both the advantages and disadvantages of the public school system, what the U.S. can learn about education from international countries, and more.
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Food for Thought: 5/7/2023
Main Topic:
My friend Yuvi and I both go to the same public school in New Jersey, so we already had some knowledge about the topic. Before our conversation, though, we researched the matter to get a wider perspective. Here are the highlights of our discussion:
Dilan:
So, Yuvi, you and I go to a public school. What do you think about the public school system in general?
Yuvi:
Well, we all know what kids and teenagers complain about the most- school. However, the public school system is a cornerstone of education in many countries around the world, and the biggest benefit of this is that it provides free education to all students. Through my own experience, I found that there are both advantages and disadvantages to public schools.
Dilan:
What are some of these advantages?
Yuvi:
One of the most significant advantages of the public school system is that it provides free education to all students, regardless of their economic status. This means that all children have an equal opportunity to attend school and receive an education.
Adding on to this, most public schools hire certified and trained educators who have experience teaching students of all ages, so this means that students have access to professionals who can provide them with quality education and guidance even if they have low incomes.
Another benefit is the social opportunities that are presented to students. Attending a public school allows children to interact with a diverse group of peers, not just a group of particular wealth or ethnicity, which helps them develop social skills and learn to work with various people from all walks of life.
Dilan:
Any other benefits?
Yuvi:
Structure and routine. Public schools have a structured environment that provides students with a routine and schedule, which can be beneficial for children who thrive in a predictable setting. Unfortunatley, I am not one of those kids. I kind of just wing it and hope for the best.
Dilan:
I see your point. However, private education institutions can also provide a structured schedule for their students to follow and use to help them excel. Speaking of private schools, through your time in public schools, have you felt that any aspect could have been better if you had gone to a private school?
Yuvi:
One of the most significant disadvantages of public schools is that class sizes can be very large, which can make it difficult for teachers to provide individual attention to each student.
Public schools also often place a heavy emphasis on standardized testing, which I know firsthand can be stressful for students. It’s kind of like telling a kid, ‘Hey, if you fail this test, your dumb and you won’t make it in life’. Added to that is the fact that kids who get a higher score often put those who didn’t do as well down. These tests don’t accurately measure a student's true abilities or potential.
Plus, a good amount of public schools have a set curriculum that all students must follow, which may not be suitable for all students. This can be particularly challenging for students who have different learning styles or who need more individualized attention. Our school has different options to serve different styles of learning and ability, but that’s not the case with all schools.
Dilan:
It is true that class sizes are much larger in public schools than in private schools. This means that a teacher will often be too busy helping out somebody who is behind and won’t have enough time to enrich students who are already excelling and are bored with the regular curriculum. Also, public schools may not have the same level of resources and funding as private schools, which can impact the quality of education that students receive.
However, a significant amount of pressure is put on kids to perform at incredibly high standards at many of the most prestigious private schools in the U.S. According to what I found, many students who go to said private schools state that the environment is especially difficult and competitive. There’s nothing wrong with setting high standards for yourself, but those standards shouldn’t be based on others’ definitions of academic success that have been imposed on you.
Yuvi:
That is true, but keep in mind, the private schools that feature an admissions process in which you have to apply and get accepted have kids who may be more driven and inclined to work harder for academic success than those in public schools. This helps you network and get in touch with those kinds of people.
But anyway, why do you think public schools in America especially get such a bad reputation? I’m curious to hear your thoughts.
Dilan:
Well, in America, you have multiple different races and ethnicities who all have different values and views when it comes to education. Those who come from cultures that think that education is important are more likely to criticize the public schools for lacking what they are accustomed to.
A lot of students also have a problem with what is taught in schools, the amount of homework they receive, the stress and anxiety that develop from school, and more. This tarnishes the public school’s reputation in mainstream media, where US public schools have been attacked from all angles. Everything from the disgusting food to the apathy of the teachers. Even the picture shown above, which is from The Simpsons, portrays public schools in the eyes of Bart Simpson: a literal, not metaphorical, prison.
Another reason why many think American public schools are failing is that Americans typically scored lower on the PISA exam on average than other countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OCED). This is a group of mostly wealthy counties that economists like to compare to one another. This naturally leads people to believe that we should be learning how to better our education system from other countries.
While there are elements that we can borrow from their countries, the countries that may outperform us in testing and academic achievement, such as Finland, also have different cultures and values than ours. Also, these other countries have fewer people and their population isn’t as diverse as ours. U.S. systems have to serve students of different cultures, ethnic and linguistic backgrounds. So, while the education system is flawed, the solution is not that easy to fix.
I don’t think that U.S. public school system deserves this much criticism. There are issues, and these issues can and should be corrected. But it’s not as if problems with public schools don’t exist in other countries, and private schools aren’t flawless, either.
I know that you have been to other public schools outside of the U.S., though. Can you tell me about those schools and how they were different than our school now? Is there anything that you liked better about those schools that you think the U.S. could emulate to improve in their public schools?
Yuvi:
Yes, it’s true that I have been to multiple different schools in the past. From personal experience, I can say that they were a little bit better overall. Some people say that the problem with public schools is funds and that the school board does not have enough money to provide better food, equipment, and even teachers for their students. This is not the case with all public schools.
My first school while I lived in Britain was Richmond School. I attended the fifth grade there and it was a whole different experience. Richmond is a public school with staff that wants the best for their students throughout their time at the school. The first thing that someone attending an American public school will notice at Richmond is the food. An assortment of meats, bread, and cakes are lined in a buffet (not all-you-can-eat) format. This makes the parents of students happy to pay the required price since they know that the food served to their children is healthy and delicious.
Aside from food, my school in India had the best staff that any parent could ask for. Shiv Nadar’s teachers excel in creating relations with their students and making sure that they have a good time at school. In Indian schools, students don’t need counselors as much because they trust their teachers with the responsibilities of a counselor. When I was in India my teachers taught me not only about academic subjects but about life. My social skills, debate skills, and confidence all came from my teachers in India because they have the ability to give you that.
So after all that information the question still remains: How can schools in the US learn from schools in other countries? First, the U.S. public school system should take a holistic approach to its students. Meaning individualizing and tailoring a broad-based education to each student. This is a challenge because fewer and fewer people want to be teachers in America in today’s society. I think it’s a cultural aspect again. A lot of Americans view teaching as a career that you wouldn’t want to end up with, but in reality, being a teacher is one of the highest responsibilities. You are educating the next generation and instructing them on how to get through life.
Another thing I would like to touch upon is the fact that many of the other schools I have been to were much cleaner and well-kept. The maintenance kept the school in pristine condition. I don’t blame the janitors of our school, they work around the clock to make sure our school stays in good condition. I believe that in other areas around the world, students are instructed to keep values of cleanliness, which influences their decision to not litter, wipe their food up if they spill it, and more. For example, tidiness is a big part of the culture in Japan.
Dilan:
To conclude, it seems as if U.S. public schools have the edge over U.S. private schools in at least some areas, and may even reign supreme in certain aspects compared to foreign public schools. Yet there are a lot of problems that have been brought up over the years about these public schools.
Yuvi:
I agree. Overall, the public school system has both advantages and disadvantages. It provides free education to all students and allows them to develop social skills, but it can also have large class sizes and limited resources. I think it’s important for parents to consider both the pros and cons of the public school system when deciding on the best educational path for their children.
Try This
Experiment with yourself. Change a variable about something you normally do in your routine, and see if the change helps you in any way. For example, you could listen to classical music instead of Lofi as you usually do when you are working or studying. Or maybe you could have black coffee instead of your customary cappuccino. Or maybe you could listen to an audiobook at night instead of reading your typical e-book. Record how these different variations affected you. You might be surprised to find that simple switches in our daily routines can lead to big growth.
The variation I plan to employ is making sure that the time period that I allocate for myself to be on my phone is pushed earlier because I have long suspected that the blue light of modern screens affects my sleep. There is also scientific evidence to back this.
Quote:
“Most men pursue pleasure with such breathless haste that they hurry past it.”
- Søren Kierkegaard
That’s all for now, Yuvi and Dilan out.