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Educ 200 Signature Assignment
Educ 200 Signature Assignment
Question 4 - How does education in other countries compare to the system of education in the U.S. from your observations?
From the countries we spoke about in class, it seemed that for most countries schooling was compulsory for about the same
amount of time. Most of them began school at about age six and were required to stay in school until sixteen, with the option to
continue for a couple more years. However, there was quite a bit of variance in the requirements for teachers around the world.
Countries such as Korea, Finland, and New Zealand score higher on PISA and other education outcome measures than other
countries, but they hold their teachers to higher standards, require more teacher training, and pay them higher wages.
Additionally, one of the students in The Smartest Kids in the World and How They Got That Way mentioned that when he came
to the United States as an exchange student, he was shocked to find out how easy the tests were. He had never had a multiple
choice test before because they were required to really show their knowledge through essay questions (Ripley, 2014). On the
other hand, some countries do not make education a priority. They seem to be stuck in a vicious cycle of poverty and limited
access to education. For example, in Niger those who do go to school only attend for an average of less than two years. In many
poor countries, the children (or at least the daughters) do not have the option to attend school because they need to work to
help supplement the family’s income. Because they are uneducated, they cannot obtain good jobs once they reach adulthood,
so they must also have their children stay home from school and the cycle continues. Plus, these countries have a huge teacher
shortage and because they are so desperate for teachers, the teachers are often underqualified, and the classes can have over a
hundred students crowded into a single room with a single teacher. In the U.S., our teachers are not paid very well in
comparison to the countries with more successful education systems, but the teachers are not held to the same high standards.
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Question 4 - Name some populations that are denied a good education? For example, we all know based on experiences in
this class that women and girls are denied a good education in parts of world (sadly). What are other groups of people that
are denied a good education?
One of the most common groups that are denied a quality education are people with disabilities. Many places in the world
refuse to allow students with disabilities in their schools altogether, and some require them to attend separate schools, but even
schools that do provide special education services and accommodations often do not treat their students equally. Whether or
not it is intentional, teachers often call on them less and peers do not include those with disabilities in activities. Many teachers
do not successfully plan inclusive lessons and activities, so those with both physical and intellectual disabilities are often left out
and end up feeling even more disconnected from their peers. Thus, many of them have low self-esteem and receive a poorer
education than their peers.
Additionally, students have been denied a good quality education based on racial bias. Teachers and schools may be prejudiced
against different races or against immigrants. Again, it may not always be intentional, but a lot of schools do not have quality
bilingual programs for students who cannot speak the native language or speak it as a second language and still struggle with it.
These students may want to work just as hard as the others, but they cannot receive the same quality education if they do not
understand their teachers and peers.
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References
Ripley, A. (2014). The smartest kids in the world and how they got that way. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks.
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