| Math is a subject that is bound to evolve with | | | | student success and informing teachers on how |
| time; however, something, somehow, did go | | | | to improve the practice and turn-around low |
| wrong, somewhere along the line, that has | | | | performing schools." Source CNN. |
| resulted in the high percentile of innumeracy in our | | | | No use crying over spilled milk! What is done is |
| youngsters today! The mid seventies were the | | | | done! We have to pick up the pieces and start |
| years when new math methodologies were | | | | over again. And despite the fact that it might |
| introduced. Psychologists and pedagogues started | | | | take at least two generations to undo the harm |
| looking into how they could better the educational | | | | done, we still have to retread the trodden path. |
| process by implementing unproven theories. In | | | | Where to start? Perhaps, laws need to be |
| other words experiment with our kids. | | | | changed for starters. Not every teacher who |
| Many developing countries, which normally follow | | | | reprimands, punishes a child for misbehavior or |
| the western trend, could not keep up with | | | | other, is a psycho. Not every teacher who holds a |
| changes that involved constant adaptation of new | | | | child's hand is a child molester. Our 'psych' has to |
| teaching methodologies. Reprinting of new | | | | change and get back to 'normal'. Where are the |
| textbooks and retraining of teachers, for the | | | | days when a child would think twice before telling |
| implementation of those groundbreaking new | | | | parents that he was punished at school, for fear |
| techniques, were not within their budget. As a | | | | of being reprimanded by them? |
| result, they had no other choice but to stick with | | | | Two Texas University education psychologists, |
| what was working for them, and kept the ball | | | | Willson and Hughes, say: "Parents must often |
| rolling. Why try to fix what is not broken? | | | | shoulder at least part of the blame or credit." |
| Today, not only are we lagging behind in | | | | Willson and Hughes suggest that parents should |
| adequately educating our kids but also producing | | | | get more involved with the school and their child |
| math teachers who do not even major in the | | | | schooling in order to reduce the risk of their child |
| subject. William Schmidt, University distinguished | | | | being retained. They say parents can help by |
| Professor of education, found that prospective | | | | communicating regularly with teaches and taking |
| U.S. elementary and middle school math teachers | | | | some responsibility to monitor children school |
| are not prepared as those from other countries. | | | | work and activities. Helping children with their |
| "And this, combined with a weak U.S. math | | | | homework can give them the confidence they |
| curriculum, produces similar weak student | | | | need at school. |
| achievement," he said. | | | | There are greater opportunities today, more than |
| The secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, stated | | | | ever, for parents to get involved in their children's |
| that the American kids are falling behind in those | | | | education. Parents can now use the internet as a |
| areas and may not be able to compete globally. | | | | tool which abounds with resources that were not |
| "It has huge implications," Duncan said, "I think as | | | | accessible only a few years ago. Moments like we |
| a real economic imperative we have to educate | | | | are living today is the time for reflections and self |
| our way to a better economy." He added, "The | | | | analysis; a time when we desperately need to |
| solution is to adopt international benchmark and | | | | take the actions that would help forge a legacy |
| standard to build data systems to measure | | | | for us to leave behind, for our future generations. |