illiterate in America

[Sjakihata]

It's part of the point. Many nations have more people than the US, a higher rate of literacy, and a longer history, yet have not come close to achieving what the US has.

If the US can achieve these things with such a mediocre education system and low rate of literacy, I'm inclined to think they must be pretty damn smart.

Imagine what they could do if they improved their schools...

yes, we all know that it is all u.s. scientists that has achieved all these things, right? no one from germany, russia, japan etc. have been granted asylum and helped engineering a project of great proportions!

[Ice]

It's part of the point. Many nations have more people than the US, a higher rate of literacy, and a longer history, yet have not come close to achieving what the US has.

Considering we are the third largest nation in the world, do you mean many is equal to two? China and India have a higher literacy rate then us? Some how i have a hard time believing that.

China: 90.9%
India: 59.5%
United States: 99%

All statistics from http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/

[Justiciar]

I'm inclined to think they must be pretty damn smart.

Or pretty damn rich, which ultimately makes for a better country. Who needs knowledge when you can hire foreigners to do the hard stuff for you?

[Byzantine Prince]

It's part of the point. Many nations have more people than the US, a higher rate of literacy, and a longer history, yet have not come close to achieving what the US has.

If the US can achieve these things with such a mediocre education system and low rate of literacy, I'm inclined to think they must be pretty damn smart.

Imagine what they could do if they improved their schools...

What are you talking about, the US has the highest ranked universities in the world. And because of this they also have the best technology. MIT, Harvard, UCLA, Berkeley, Yale. MIT alone has a bigger budget than the State of Chile. How could they NOT have all that technology? Most of Harvard's stupdents are not even American.

[Avicenna]

It doesn't matter that most of the schools are mediocre Beirut, since the top schools are amongst the best in the world. And those schools are hard to improve on very much.

Isn't Yale mainly famous for producing US presidents? That's not much use outside of the US if you ask me..

[BHCWarman88]

No child left behind ... behind what? The 49 nations that are more literate?

Saw this in PB: 20% of Americans think the sun orbits the earth. 17% know the earth orbits the sun ... but, think it does so every 24 hours (not every 365 days). We be smart ... we be knowings these things, we listens real goods in church. j/k (btw)

America is ranked 50th in literacy in the nations of the world. The wealthiest (well, for a few of us ... I suppose) nation, and the dumbest people in civilized mankind. Of course our religious fervor is equal to alquaedas so that must mean something? Eh?

Why are Americans stupid? 50th? That is a national disgrace. Especially when our budget should afford that every child attend Harvard or Yale or State (wtf).

It is a travesty. How did we allow it. Why is it permitted. And, why do some think it is OK?

Personally, without the GI Bill, I never could have afforded my initial college education. To think that there are 20% (maybe they mean 6 yr olds) that believe the sun revolves around earth is disturbing. I mean, I was explained "God's Plan" when I was like 4 .... you know, how God's time ain't necessarily ours, and the revolving things. Maybe, the 20% slept through ... like everything they were ever told?

Thing is, of all the modern nations ... America is the dumbest. Hands down. Mores the pity, don't you think? Especially since we have the ability to eliminate the world as we know it .......... oh, never mind Bush43 already did that. j/k (sorta)

it sad that we one of the Best Countries in the World,but this Country has to be one of the damn Dumbest.. God, I see Kids in my Cathloic School get 4.0 and crap,and I have a kid in my reading class who can't read one sentance without help and he reads on a 4th grade level.. and he is in 8th grade in a Cathloic School,that's wrong,period..

[Ice]

it sad that we one of the Best Countries in the World,but this Country has to be one of the damn Dumbest.. God, I see Kids in my Cathloic School get 4.0 and crap,and I have a kid in my reading class who can't read one sentance without help and he reads on a 4th grade level.. and he is in 8th grade in a Cathloic School,that's wrong,period..

Ohhh sweet irony!!!!

[Tachikaze]

The part that Kafir ignores in his rant is if parents don't care about child's education then the child will not be receptive to recieving the education, so the amount of money spent on education is mote until this problem is addressed by the parents themselves.

Something we agree on.

On Beirut's point, I have said before in other threads about Americans' education problems that the US has the two extremes (as usual with most things). It has a significant number of very ignorant people (who vote! ) and some of the brightest minds on the planet. The national average is very low, but the most intelligent have the means at their disposal to see their projects to fruition (like foil-covered tin cans floating in space). This is not true of most of the equally intelligent people in other nations.

[Alexanderofmacedon]

No child left behind ... behind what? The 49 nations that are more literate?

Saw this in PB: 20% of Americans think the sun orbits the earth. 17% know the earth orbits the sun ... but, think it does so every 24 hours (not every 365 days). We be smart ... we be knowings these things, we listens real goods in church. j/k (btw)

America is ranked 50th in literacy in the nations of the world. The wealthiest (well, for a few of us ... I suppose) nation, and the dumbest people in civilized mankind. Of course our religious fervor is equal to alquaedas so that must mean something? Eh?

Why are Americans stupid? 50th? That is a national disgrace. Especially when our budget should afford that every child attend Harvard or Yale or State (wtf).

It is a travesty. How did we allow it. Why is it permitted. And, why do some think it is OK?

Personally, without the GI Bill, I never could have afforded my initial college education. To think that there are 20% (maybe they mean 6 yr olds) that believe the sun revolves around earth is disturbing. I mean, I was explained "God's Plan" when I was like 4 .... you know, how God's time ain't necessarily ours, and the revolving things. Maybe, the 20% slept through ... like everything they were ever told?

Thing is, of all the modern nations ... America is the dumbest. Hands down. Mores the pity, don't you think? Especially since we have the ability to eliminate the world as we know it .......... oh, never mind Bush43 already did that. j/k (sorta)

Maybe if we didn't so much d*** money in a pointless war? Maybe if our highest members in our countries administration weren't doing certain things for personal gain? Maybe if our president was educated! Some of his pronounciations and such show he's really not too educated himself.

Thanks to anyone who voted for him.

EDIT: And do you know what the worst part about the "no child left behind" act? I'm at the richest school in my city (was) and now that we have to give all our money away, we're poor. WTF? You're supposed to balance it out, not flip it!

[Beirut]

yes, we all know that it is all u.s. scientists that has achieved all these things, right? no one from germany, russia, japan etc. have been granted asylum and helped engineering a project of great proportions!

Really?

And all this time I thought Wernher von Braun didn't accomplish anything but the electric razor and a few kitchen gadgets.

Whoduhthunkit!

[Redleg]

Maybe if we didn't so much d*** money in a pointless war? Maybe if our highest members in our countries administration weren't doing certain things for personal gain? Maybe if our president was educated! Some of his pronounciations and such show he's really not too educated himself.

Thanks to anyone who voted for him.

If you think it was much better during the 1990's your fooling yourself. I am willing to bet most of the individuals surveyed in this particlur survey were educated during the 1980's and 1990's.

EDIT: And do you know what the worst part about the "no child left behind" act? I'm at the richest school in my city (was) and now that we have to give all our money away, we're poor. WTF? You're supposed to balance it out, not flip it!

Tsk Tsk - that is a Texas state legislative issue - not the Federal Government. Your mixing your apples and oranges.

[PanzerJaeger]

It is a travesty. How did we allow it. Why is it permitted. And, why do some think it is OK?

Hardly.

America needs this element of society to do the menial work, and be content doing it. A capitalistic society needs an underclass to do the worst, lowest paid jobs without too much objection.

Just like everything else in America: the more money you have, the better education you can get for your kids. Of course the kid's level of studiousness also must be high to achieve good results.

The intelligent upper classes go to private schools and learn the skills they need to manipulate those public school graduates who are barely literate. And the GDP continues to rise, and America becomes even richer. Thats how it works.

The only travesty is that the percentage of stupid americans has fallen to such a low point that we are having to employ illegals to do the **** work.


Oh yea, I love how Kafir tried to tie religion and general stupidity together. Religious schools, especially Catholic ones, are some of the best in the nation.

(Language - Beirut)

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

Just like everything else in America: the more money you have, the better education you can get for your kids. Of course the kid's level of studiousness also must be high to achieve good results.

The intelligent upper classes go to private schools and learn the skills they need to manipulate those public school graduates who are barely literate. And the GDP continues to rise, and America becomes even richer. Thats how it works.

You think this is actually acceptable? That someone should be condemned to a life of menial work and poverty because of the accident of their birth?

[Alexanderofmacedon]

Hardly.

America needs this element of society to do the menial work, and be content doing it. A capitalistic society needs an underclass to do the worst, lowest paid jobs without too much objection.

Just like everything else in America: the more money you have, the better education you can get for your kids. Of course the kid's level of studiousness also must be high to achieve good results.

The intelligent upper classes go to private schools and learn the skills they need to manipulate those public school graduates who are barely literate. And the GDP continues to rise, and America becomes even richer. Thats how it works.

The only travesty is that the percentage of stupid americans has fallen to such a low point that we are having to employ illegals to do the shit work.


Oh yea, I love how Kafir tried to tie religion and general stupidity together. Religious schools, especially Catholic ones, are some of the best in the nation.

If you're taught the ideals of a religion that is dominant in this country, I'm sure it helps.

Also, I think you bring up a good point about the menial work, but I think, we could deffinetly lower the standards for letting immagrants work here. Instead of keeping everyone stupid, maybe we could bring people who need the jobs from across the border. I'm not condoning the employment of illegals, just maybe lower the standards.

EDIT: I do however find something disturbing in your post. Just because someone is born poor, they do not have a right to a good education? Is that what you're saying, because that's awful in my opinion.

[Tachikaze]

Any time religion is used to put us educationally back in the Dark Ages, it is a bad influence on public education. We're not talking about Catholicism, here, but good ol' Protestant evangelists, like Bush.

Creationism! Oh my god! No wonder the Sun revolves around the flat Earth.

[Redleg]

Any time religion is used to put us educationally back in the Dark Ages, it is a bad influence on public education. We're not talking about Catholicism, here, but good ol' Protestant evangelists, like Bush.

Creationism! Oh my god! No wonder the Sun revolves around the flat Earth.

Oh look a generalization. Care to guess how many Protestant evangelists believe that the earth revolves around the sun?

[Alexanderofmacedon]

Oh look a generalization. Care to guess how many Protestant evangelists believe that the earth revolves around the sun?

Enlighten me...

[Xiahou]

Maybe if we didn't so much d*** money in a pointless war? Maybe if our highest members in our countries administration weren't doing certain things for personal gain? Maybe if our president was educated! Some of his pronounciations and such show he's really not too educated himself.

Money isnt the problem. Our per student spending is among the highest in the world, and it's got us nowhere. We need real reform- not just throwing more money at the problem.

A good first step might be to get the federal government out of the education business and leave it to more local control.

[Redleg]

Enlighten me...

Go to a Protestant evangelist church and you will enlighten yourself.

I went to one for about a year after the Esipocal Church in my area changed its doctrine - ie its no longer that type of protestant church.

Some evangelists were just as intelligent as I, several spoke three languages to include russian. One was a doctor, etc. Basically from all walks of life.

That particlur church also had its fair share of knuckle heads - but generalizations for the most part are inaccurate.

I could point out the number of knuckleheads that have absolute no religion that believe a whole spectrum of things. Because of their own lack of education.

[Alexanderofmacedon]

Go to a Protestant evangelist church and you will enlighten yourself.
I went to one for about a year after the Esipocal Church in my area changed its doctrine - ie its no longer that type of protestant church.

Some evangelists were just as intelligent as I, several spoke three languages to include russian. One was a doctor, etc. Basically from all walks of life.

That particlur church also had its fair share of knuckle heads - but generalizations for the most part are inaccurate.

I could point out the number of knuckleheads that have absolute no religion that believe a whole spectrum of things. Because of their own lack of education.

That's not what I asked for...

[Strike For The South]

come to my church talk...

[BHCWarman88]

Or Mabye the Kids just don't care..

[Alexanderofmacedon]

Or Mabye the Kids just don't care..

Which somehow needs to be fixed. But at least with that scenario, it's the kids choice. It's not that they were born into it.

[Avicenna]

Many kids don't care because that's exactly what they are. Kids.

[Ja'chyra]

Lol, the US is not doing too badly considering they're all so dumb.

Maybe the school system does need changed, but tell me one that doesn't. There will always be people in every country that aren't that bright, for a multitude of reasons, I don't think the situation in the US is anything special.

You think this is actually acceptable? That someone should be condemned to a life of menial work and poverty because of the accident of their birth?

That's not quite the way it is though is it BKS, no-one who is prepared to put the effort in is condemned to anything, it might be harder for them but when they do prosper it'll be easier for their kids.

I think the trick would be to determine which youngsters are worth spending the money on and focusing on them, the rest can get the standard levels of education or else put the effort in to get recognised.

[Quid]

Or Mabye the Kids just don't care..

Being a teacher myself (equivalent to Junior Highschool - Anglo-American section) in Switzerland, I have to say that this is probably the most accurate statement, so far.

Students have smaller and smaller attention spans and are extremely difficult to motivate. Basic skills have been left hanging (writing, reading, basic arithmetics etc.) already in Primary School. Many students 'claim' to have some sort of disability (ADD, dyslexia etc.) and are consequently supported by their parents as this is always the easier option out (as opposed to actually tell their kids off for their crap grades). However, students show less and less interest in anything remotely connected to education and rather spend their time playing with their mobiles and looking cool. This is clearly a problem that must be addressed by parents and not only teachers.

In fairness, I teach mostly kids whose first language is not English but their mothertongue is often just as bad and they end up not being able to communicate properly in any language.

I reckon the standard of basic eduacation has deteriorated in most countries as more and more has to be taught and consequently known. I have had a 16-year old ask me the other day where the address had to be placed on an envelope...common! I recall having learned that shortly after having been taught how to write...

I get asked the most phenomenal questions at times...

Quid

[Redleg]

That's not what I asked for...

You have been enlightened. Just because you don't recongize it does not mean it is not enlightenment.

[Kralizec]

Any time religion is used to put us educationally back in the Dark Ages, it is a bad influence on public education. We're not talking about Catholicism, here, but good ol' Protestant evangelists, like Bush.

Creationism! Oh my god! No wonder the Sun revolves around the flat Earth.

The notion that the Catholic church said that the Earth was flat is a widespread and persistent myth.
They supported Ptolemy's model of the universe, in wich the sun and spherical planets revolved around a spherical Earth. The fact that the Earth is round was known even by the ancient Hellenes.

[Tachikaze]

The notion that the Catholic church said that the Earth was flat is a widespread and persistent myth.
They supported Ptolemy's model of the universe, in wich the sun and spherical planets revolved around a spherical Earth. The fact that the Earth is round was known even by the ancient Hellenes.

I was being facetious, and I was not referring to the Catholics. I was referring to the Protestants who believe that the story of Genesis is true and want the rest of the country to believe it as well.

To me, disregarding evolution and/or believing humans were created by a god suddenly is as bad as believing the Earth is flat.

[Redleg]

I was being facetious, and I was not referring to the Catholics. I was referring to the Protestants who believe that the story of Genesis is true and want the rest of the country to believe it as well.

To me, disregarding evolution and/or believing humans were created by a god suddenly is as bad as believing the Earth is flat.

Ah making generalizations about Protestants again I see. Tsk Tsk...