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There's not much talk here about the cultural or social values of education in America. It's my understanding that what's largely at play is a kind of contempt/jealousy amongst peers for those who are intelligent or do well or work hard in public education.
This isn't anything new on it's own, but it seems that perhaps the problem has gotten worse. How is the ideal student viewed by others around him or her? An avid reader, always doing homework, always getting As, always keen for a challenge, always challenging others, etc. These are the students who are often ridiculed or otherwise sabotaged. It isn't "cool" to be that kind of student. School is more of a social game or social hangout than it is a place to educate oneself. A lot of that goes on here in Canada too. Even at the goddamn university level.
Does it shock you that in other parts of the world, the opposite is true? I mentioned in another thread that there are places in India where the "ideal" student is the cool one. Those who excel, work hard, and go places in the education system are sometimes idolized. They are viewed as someone who is going places in life. Maybe even to America to make their fortune. They look at these students as something to aspire to. They are role models. They are respected.
This is a huge difference and has a profound impact on the culture of education. I'm willing to bet the top schools in America are ones that have a similar culture to the one I described in India. Whether they instill respect for accomplishment or an environment of competition, either way, it is far more conducive to learning than what we see in the average school across the nation. I'm sure funding is another important matter, but sometimes the two go hand in hand.
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Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön
Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot
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