with Lorelle and Brent VanFossen

Americans Are Stupid

Yes, citizens of the United States (Americans) are stupid. On average. This is according to an annual study called the The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study which examines the average intellect and education of students from around the world. Singapore ranks #1. The United States is much lower.

The reasons given for the lack of quality education in the United States compared to the rest of the world are actually fewer than I would have thought. They say that Americans get an inconsistent exposure to math, science, and other “high” education topics. Other countries not only focus in a concentrated method on the math and science topics, they teach the rules as well as the concepts behind the rules. If you understand the why behind the rule, it tends to be more applicable throughout your studies instead of being “just another thing to memorize”.

The experts also were fairly unanimous that the “dumbing down” of America to set the levels to the lowest common denominator in the schools and having different levels at the city and state level instead of a higher federal standard for students to strive towards. Other countries have federal levels and standards for education that students have to meet in order to graduate.

According to the report, “As one example, 44 percent of eighth-graders in Singapore scored at the most advanced level in math, as did 38 percent in Taiwan. Only 7 percent in the United States did.”

One of the biggest problems with these results made me really think. Currently, in order to get high quality technical employees, such as engineers, scientists and even doctors, companies import foreign workers into the United States since they can’t find qualified workers within the states. Already, the demand for these highly educated and qualified foreign workers is draining dry. Combined with the increased difficulty for foreigners to even travel to the United States, a lot of foreign workers are refusing to come to the US. With the drop in intellect, companies dependent upon this top notch intellect will move out of the states and set up shop in foreign countries, like many hi-tech companies are already doing in India, bringing the work to the workers instead of the workers to the work.

We just aren’t keeping up with the global economy and work force needs.

Gave me something to seriously think about. What’s going on here in the US?
Mobile, Alabama

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