By I wish the President good luck with this initiative because I think he is going to need it considering how piss poor the US educational system is:
A conversation last week with South Korea’s president apparently showed President Obama the stark difference between how Asian nations and the United States value education.
Obama said Monday that the U.S. needs to restore the nation’s leadership in educating children in math and science to meet future challenges, and he announced a new Educate to Innovate Campaign.
He told how President Lee Myung-bak explained that demanding parents are South Korea‘s biggest education problem.
“Even if somebody is dirt poor, they are insisting that their kids are getting the best education,” Obama recalled the conversation, sounding almost whimsical in describing Lee’s biggest education problem as parents wanting excellent schools for their children.
In the U.S., a major challenge is to revive the interest, opportunities and abilities of students in math and science, Obama said. [CNN]
Read the rest, but the President is going to pour $260 million into a variety of programs to promote math & science in school. First of all I don’t think pouring money into programs is going to make parents care about their kids education. This all goes back to what Chickenhead said before that Korea has a culture that respects how many math problems are correct on par with how well one can throw a ball. It is going to take a massive change in cultural thinking in America to come anywhere close to the zeal Korean ajummas show for educating their kids.
Secondly, the vast majority of American parents probably do care about their kids education, but their kids are stuck in failed schools and cannot afford to send them to private schools. I have seen kids in Korea go to very basic schools without all the computers and technology that many US schools have and they still get a quality education because of parental involvement and empowered teachers.
12:54 pm on November 23rd, 2009 1
I believe the vast majority of Americans do place an emphasis on education. Many schools in the US do meet those demands.
Yet educators and their unions and representatives all across the US, place more emphasis on pay raises and bargaining positions at the negotiation table than any other issue.
The teachers in the US are no more interested in the students than they are about military life in Shemya Alaska. Its all about money, job security and benifits.
On the other hand there is a significant population in the US that could care less about parenting and try instead to keep those carefree teens years going until they drop.
Children are just a byproduct that have to be dealt with and the schools should be responsible for feeding, disciplining, and teaching everything they haven't got a clue about. If they thought they could get the schools to put their kids to bed at night they would demand it.
Yet, the struggle must continue as the alternatives are much worse.
6:23 pm on November 23rd, 2009 2
I think Asian and white people in American value education, but mexican and black people don't. Why don't Obama adress mexican and black people and their distrust of education.
12:49 am on November 24th, 2009 3
Where's Obama getting his $260 million from? Just print them?
I guess that's chump change, considering that he gave a dozen Wall Street banks, trillions of dollars so that they can reward bonuses to themselves to the tune of $100 billion dollars plus. American people are the suckers.
Do the numbers mean anything anymore? The US is turning into a big joke, a banana republic.
I notice Americans are a lot quieter these days. They're not lecturing to Koreans about too much of anything, as usually they do.
1:00 am on November 24th, 2009 4
Its not just Americans who hate Koreans. All you have to do is be around Koreans and anybody will soon hate them.
9:37 am on November 24th, 2009 5
Well Tom, if America is a joke you are letting that Joke occupy your Country so I guess you could say Korean people are suckers for letting this happen. The U.S. has how many U.S. Soldiers stationed on how many U.S. bases in Korea? How many countries does Korea have Korean Military Bases in? America has been a superpower during my life time, where does Korea rank in power? I think Korea ranks even behind the nation you hate the most, Japan. I would stop trying to put down the U.S. until Korea actually becomes something in the world.
10:35 am on November 24th, 2009 6
"“Even if somebody is dirt poor, they are insisting that their kids are getting the best education,”
Well, besides the fact it's a blanket statement…
Best education? No, the most education. You aren't getting a good education if you end up sleeping in class (goes for both high school students who spend 6 hours after school at a hagwon and university kids who take 9 different courses per semester).
11:13 am on November 24th, 2009 7
TOM, It evident many of your comments are bitter, vitriol, statements against the US. Just curious as if you have a particulair reason for this.
3:17 pm on November 24th, 2009 8
Well Tom, if America is a land full of suckers then you are letting those suckers occupy your land so I guess you could say Koreans are the biggest suckers of all. America has been a superpower during my life time, where does Korea rank in world order? I would stop trying to put down a nation that owns you until Korea actually becomes a nation that matters in this world.
3:48 pm on November 24th, 2009 9
Congrats tom. Good bait there. I'll have to agree with you about one thing.
The US is turning into a joke internationally. A bow here, a bow there. OH! lets add a handshake also, just-in-case.
And yes. He will print the money.
But don't laugh just yet. Where Amerika goes, so the world follows. We just get there first, find the fix, and give it to you folks.
I'm interested tom. What DID happen to make you dislike us so. Lose your girl. See too many yoja with ESL teachers.
Tell me your story tom. What burned you out?
4:10 pm on November 24th, 2009 10
Sticky, You may know this already, but in case you don't.
TOM's korea would be exactly like the DPRK if the USA had not sent it's men and boy's to die for their freedom during the american war.
It must be rough to grow up knowing that you owe so very much to the big noses. The current crop of US troops in korea know nothing about that war. They don't need too. Which must be just another slap in the collective korean face. Our troops don't care to learn hangul or korean history—why should they. They are only here long enough to mess up a marriage. But the collective korean must deal with this disrespect and shame every day of every week of every month of every year, since 1953.
They either except or become bitter.
At least that is my take on the situation. Personally, I never had too much of a problem. But I took an interest and always tried to show that I did.
Then again, I could be way wrong. I drank alot in those days
I wish we would leave korea. I saw what happened in PI when we left. I would enjoy watching whatever would happen in korea after we left
4:33 pm on November 24th, 2009 11
And you said it out load for all to hear
knock knock knock—yes we are the (PC) Police. you will have to come with us.
Yes, this is your re-education class. Now repeat; we are all the same, we are all the same——
Next thing you will be saying is that the religiously persecuted Major at Fort Hood was really a Terrorist Jihadist in an army uniform!
Perhaps the POTUS should discuss it with Bill Cosby.
1:19 am on December 5th, 2009 12
Regardless, the attitude behind that "blanket statement" is the reason why South Korea is what it is now. Starting from one of the poorest nation in the world, it has catapulted itself into the 12th (or 13th, am I wrong?) biggest economy in the world in a mere fifty years, with a population of less than fourth of that of the US. Korea doesn't have much natural resources – human resources is what the Korean economy has always depended on. Just look at things like semiconducters and computer technology.
I can't exactly say the Korean education is so great now, but I value attitute behind it.