Children in the US, age 5 to 6, are already set to school until they reach the 12th grade. That is the start of their learning until they get ready for college. But postsecondary education is said to be the basis of the health of education in the United States, not to mention the scores of students on college entrance exams and standardized achievement tests. So to assess, here are the strengths and weaknesses of the US education system.
Strengths of the US Education System
- The curricula of elementary and middle school have covered all areas of education, ensuring every student is proficient not only in Math but English too.
- The NCLB or No Child Left Behind policy strictly monitors each school to guarantee that every student gets a regulated education level.
- The said policy promotes the use of technology in classrooms with only qualified teachers, and even has a program for disabled students and for those who are financially disadvantaged.
- High school students in the US, usually those who are in the 9th to 12th grade, take courses with a variety of subjects.
- In this way, without having an emphasis on a particular field, students become well-rounded and are able to discover their own strengths and weaknesses in different areas.
- Aside from compulsory classes, elective classes are also offered to give students the chance to choose what best suits their interests.
- Thousands of colleges are available to choose from, with specialization in different areas, ensuring all fields are covered.
- The liberal arts system, on the other hand, allows students to get a major and at the same time grow intellectually in other fields.
- With a grade point average system that is established in both high school and college.
- The said GPA system supports equality and supervises student’s performance across different subjects.
- It is not biased on a particular subject which encourages students to be flexible and do good in everything.
Weaknesses of the US Education System
- The curriculum of the US education system is not standardized.
- Students don’t acquire the same principles of learning which is said to result in a lesser preparation for higher education.
- Students are not privy to the same quality of education since they attend to different schools, and don’t get the same basic information and skills.
- The states don’t have an equal education and students don’t get the opportunity of learning the same things.
- Schools don’t have a uniform requirement and students don’t get the same access to course topics and educational tools.
Though some people agree with the US education system, others want it to be standardized. With the current system, when a child transfers to a different state, he will be having a hard time adjusting to the new academic life. But others say that standardization will only decrease the learning. So it’s up to you to weigh the strengths and weakness of the US education system.