American education is now in need of urgent reforms if it is to retain its competitive edge in the emerging knowledge economy. Obama wants American parents to make efforts to instill in their children the values of hard work and delayed gratification.
Like India, America also has one of the highest dropout rates. American high school students score less marks in mathematics and science tests than most of their foreign peers. We are proud to know that Indian Math Online, an Indian company, is teaching mathematics to American kids using techniques from Indian schools. Bob Compton, in his documentary film, Two Million Minutes, compared high school education in India, China and the US. He discovered that Indian students who were the same age as Obama’s daughters were three years ahead of them in mathematics. This really makes us feel proud of our students.
Even after spending billions of dollars, America has fallen short in meeting the goals of educational excellence. America needs to improve the academic performance of disadvantaged students, boost teacher quality, move limited English Proficiency students to English fluency, promote informed parental choice and innovative programs and encourage freedom and accountability.
It is surprising to know that many urban and rural schools in America still suffer from overcrowded classrooms, outdated books, inadequate equipment, and teachers who are forced to pay from their pockets for basic supplies. Obama’s priorities should be investing more in childcare and preschools, raising the quality of teachers and investing in out-of-school activities to reduce dropouts.
The Obama Plan should include modules on morals and cultural values. It should enforce discipline in the classroom. It should conduct remedial and bridge course in English to drop-outs. It should give importance to extra-curricular and co-curricular activities under the supervision of teachers. Outreach programs should be linked to the importance of the day and undertake activities useful for all communities. It should start eco-clubs to care of their environment. It should provide free mid-day meal to attract child workers. It should supply free stationary, textbooks, stipend to the poor. Students should not be allowed to enter campus with prohibited weapons.
America can learn from India which has launched several policies and programs to improve quality and quantitative education for all. Teachers at primary level are recruited by district selection committees. The schools are assisted by local body / parents committees consisting of mandal education officer, mandal resource persons, village surpanch / head, parents and ward members to monitor the functioning of schools. Anganvadis are available for kids of 1 to 5 years old providing nutritious food and all facilities for play-way methods including free textbooks. Some more facilities are extended to students at primary and secondary levels by providing scholarships, free clothes, free transportation, mid-day meals, etc. Teachers have orientation programs periodically. In tribal areas and semi-urban areas teachers stay with learners supervising the studies. Schools are provided with teaching aids, grants, incentives and additional increments. Of late, even students pursuing professional courses are exempted from tuition fee if they belong to economically backward communities. Scheduled banks are given instructions to grant education loans to all deserving students.
Some schools have subject-wise, class-wise clubs besides literary and science clubs. Some select schools encourage students to excel in fine arts such as crafts, painting, singing, dancing, etc. Vocational training colleges equip the students with the skills they need to earn their livelihood.
There should be space in the public system for good charter schools in America that innovate or attract creative social entrepreneurs into education; mismanaged chartered schools should be regulated out of existence as it is already happening in Illinois, home state of Obama.
Research also shows that teachers who are good at mathematics, science or English can teach the students effectively and help them perform better in those important subjects. As the New York study shows attracting more number of talented graduates into teaching will improve students’ achievements. Obama’s investment strategy looks superior to the school choice. His move to shift public resources to the middle-class and the socially disadvantaged would benefit millions of children’s economic conditions at home; this in turn would improve their school performance. The study also reveals that when the distribution of a country’s income is more equal, average school achievement becomes higher.
A more challenging and rigorous curriculum with emphasis on mathematics, science and literary skills; longer hours and more days to give children the time and sustained attention they need to learn; early childhood education for every child; meaningful performance based assessment that can provide a fuller picture of how a student is doing; and the recruitment and training of transformative principals and more effective teachers should be Obama’s thrust areas.
Obama is right when he says that the new entrants cannot be judged simply on standardized tests that do not take into accounts whether they are prepared before they get to school. First, they want to identify those reforms that have the highest impact on achievement, fund them and eliminate those programs that do not produce results. They want to take the teaching profession seriously. In other words, they want to pay handsomely to the talented teachers. An experienced and high qualified teacher can earn up to $ 100,000. Highly paid teachers of course need to become more accountable for their performance and school districts need to have greater ability to get rid of lazy, dull and ineffective teachers.
It is time for India and America to treat teaching as the noblest profession and pay the teachers what they deserve. When teachers are paid high, they work with all sincerity and seriousness. It is time to stop working against the teachers and start working with them.
It is a well-known fact that good teachers do not embrace education to become economically sound. They go into education because they do believe in their children and in their profession. If we invest in early childhood education and later in our teachers, our children will be successful.
The Charter schools in America which provide enhanced parental choice with quality education are exempt from many statutory and regulatory requirements. Nevertheless, they are held accountable for improving students’ academic achievement. The objective is to replace rules-based governance with performance-based accountability, thereby stimulating the creativity and commitment of teachers, parents and citizens. They are designed to deliver programs tailored to educational excellence and the needs of the community they serve.
It is glad to know that Obama believes that American children cannot afford any more years of neglect and indifference in education. I hope Obama is committed to meeting this challenge with the leadership and judgment that has been lacking for the last eight years. Obama’s vision for a 21st century education begins with demanding more reform and accountability, coupled with the resources needed to carry out that reform; asking parents to take responsibility for their children’s success; and recruiting, retaining, and rewarding an army of new teachers to fill new successful schools that prepare their children for success in college and the workforce. The Obama plan will restore the promise of America’s public education and ensure that American children again will lead the world in achievement, creativity and success.
At this defining moment in American history, the nation faces a few more urgent challenges in addition to preparing their children to compete in a global economy.
Prof G. Damodar
Department of English
Kakatiya University, Warangal 506009
gdamodar@gmail.com
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