Bewildering Stories Editorial

by Jerry Wright

Education For Fun And Profit

Ah yes, but who gets the fun, and who gets the profit? Well, kiddies it isn't the teachers, and it certainly isn't the students. But in the meantime, billions of dollars are being dumped into the American education system, without the results that we are supposed to be seeing.

Our "beloved president" came up (no doubt with some help) with a concept called "No Child Left Behind". Of course, the result of this is that with all the effort being given to bringing "underachievers" up to some sort of standard, those who could get quite a bit ahead with some help, aren't allowed to. The comment has been made, "When no child is left behind, no child can get ahead."

As Jerry Pournelle says on his website, "This isn't Lake Woebegon, where all the children are above average!" One of the other fun things happening is good buddy Bill Gates saying that all children deserve a college education. Wait a second... I'd say more than half of the kids going to school not only don't really WANT a college education, they couldn't utilize one properly if handed to them on a silver (or for that matter, paper) plate.

What happened to a "trade school education" where kids who weren't on "college track" could get a good grounding in things like auto-repair, plumbing, industrial technology, and things of that nature. Where they could become good middle-class citizens "with the goods of fortune in moderation"? As it is now, kids who are totally NOT ready for college find another track. That of "drop-out". Because schools don't give them the education they need.

So where IS all the money going? Textbooks with no real redeeming social value? Stepped up security to handle all the problems caused by kids who don't want an education, and don't really want anyone else to have an education either, worthless teachers with tenure who have no redeeming social value either?

There ARE good schools. There are great teachers. But they aren't the standard fare. So, if you have children that will be going to American schools, first off, teach them to read before they start school. I didn't trust the schools to teach my kids, and my kids don't trust the schools to teach reading to my grandkids.

Twenty or so years ago the comment was made by Europeans that Americans got a great highschool education, but it took four years of college to give it to them. Nowadays it seems that many of those who graduate from college don't even have that.

So, who gets the fun? Well, nobody, it looks like.