Why must we spend MORE on education??? (how much, homes)

[Govie]

Don't people realize that we (America) already spend just about more than every other country in the Western world on K-12 education?

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U.S. Education Spending and Performance vs. The World [INFOGRAPHIC]
February 8th, 2011 by MAT@USC


We’ve put together this infographic that compares the United States’ education spend and performance versus eleven countries. The U.S. is the clear leader in total annual spending, but ranks 9th in Science performance and 10th in Math.
During the most recent State of the Union Address, President Obama put out the call to “prepare 100,000 new teachers in the fields of science and technology and engineering and math.” While the need is there to improve student performance in these subjects, the question remains: Are Americans ready to rise to the occasion?
How much does annual spending per child impact educational outcomes?

So what gives? I am tired of opening my Pioneer Press every other day to seeing the cries of spending more of our dollars on education. Like the rest of the nation, this seems to be a common theme in Minnesota as well, where we tend to be at the higher end of the public education producers in the entire country.

This perplexes me.

[golfgal]

The US is the only country on your list that educates ALL students. Most of those countries, by the time a child is 14-16 and hasn't shown top potential, they are shuffled off to their version of our community college system to learn a trade and hope to get a job in a factory somewhere. We also fund special education out of our school district budgets vs other funds like the rest of those countries do.

[Govie]

Originally Posted by golfgal

The US is the only country on your list that educates ALL students. Most of those countries, by the time a child is 14-16 and hasn't shown top potential, they are shuffled off to their version of our community college system to learn a trade and hope to get a job in a factory somewhere. We also fund special education out of our school district budgets vs other funds like the rest of those countries do.

Spending per child is still highest (whether you're implying that's because we educate them longer, I don't know.)

I would like to see kids who've not shown potential in the academics be pushed more into the trades, which I've heard of before. College isn't for everyone and somehow in America we've been duped into believe such.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by Govie

Spending per child is still highest (whether you're implying that's because we educate them longer, I don't know.)

I would like to see kids who've not shown potential in the academics be pushed more into the trades, which I've heard of before. College isn't for everyone and somehow in America we've been duped into believe such.

Go spend some time in the villages in some of these countries or in the factories in the large cities and tell me they are better off....

Again, special education eats up close to 3/4ths of the operating budgets in districts around the nation, remove that and we are actually one of the lower spending nations...

It isn't about "going to college" it's about raising an educated population. Look around your neighborhood at the kids you know that dropped out of high school or didn't really participate in their high school education--what are they doing now? Would you prefer an entire nation of people like that? Having an educated population, college degree or not, benefits everyone. It is a good thing we push the amount of education we do on kids. Even just "learning a trade" these days requires kids to go to community college and know basic math, reading, etc.

[Govie]

Originally Posted by golfgal

Go spend some time in the villages in some of these countries or in the factories in the large cities and tell me they are better off....

Again, special education eats up close to 3/4ths of the operating budgets in districts around the nation, remove that and we are actually one of the lower spending nations...

It isn't about "going to college" it's about raising an educated population. Look around your neighborhood at the kids you know that dropped out of high school or didn't really participate in their high school education--what are they doing now? Would you prefer an entire nation of people like that? Having an educated population, college degree or not, benefits everyone. It is a good thing we push the amount of education we do on kids. Even just "learning a trade" these days requires kids to go to community college and know basic math, reading, etc.

Like I said, college isn't for everyone and a trade is exactly the right fit for someone. Last I checked plumbers and electricians are making anywhere from $18-$35/hr.

On the side of dropouts, many come from single-parent or dysfunctional homes to begin with. You can't force anyone to go to school and dumping more of our tax dollars isn't going to change that under any circumstances.

[Glenfield]

Originally Posted by golfgal

Go spend some time in the villages in some of these countries or in the factories in the large cities and tell me they are better off....

Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom.... yeah, there are some real backward, third world nations on this list.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by Glenfield

Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom.... yeah, there are some real backward, third world nations on this list.

Go spend some time in the smaller villages in most of these countries. Again, these countries STOP educating 80% of their kids by age 16 and some before that. Their special education funds do NOT come out of their public school funds. Compare apples to apples and you get an entirely different picture.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by golfgal

Go spend some time in the smaller villages in most of these countries. Again, these countries STOP educating 80% of their kids by age 16 and some before that. Their special education funds do NOT come out of their public school funds. Compare apples to apples and you get an entirely different picture.

Can you provide any sources for these assertions?

[golfgal]

Ending Age of Compulsory Education around the World

[Clifford63]

The number of years of required education would not affect the cost per year at the student level. The total cost per student would be less if the average number of years of education is lower, but the chart presented was not focused on total cost.