08-05-2016, 02:40 PM
(08-05-2016, 02:29 PM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: What really determines the level of education a child gets is the level of parental involvement. A child that fears no consequences for not paying attention and learning in class will generally prefer not to. A child who can ditch school without consequences, or with parental permission, tacit or otherwise, will generally indulge in doing so. The best teacher in the world with the best materials in the world will not be able to reach a group of children who have no incentive to pay attention or dis-insensitive not to.
It is said teachers must find ways to motivate children to want to learn. While partially true, its not the whole story. I can make my lessons as fun and interesting as possible. But I cannot force a child to learn who has no self motivation to learn. That comes from lessons and expectations from home. Teachers should provide motivation via fun and interesting lessons, but its really more of a team effort with the parent having to provide the expectation that an education is important and that the child should work hard. Very few children have an intrinsic work ethic. I know I didn't. Kids just want to goof off. The parents need to instill in them the value of an education.
Back to the stereotype of asians being better at academics...well, guess what, in most asian families, education is given a very high priority. Sometimes to the point of being detrimental to the child due to so much pressure from the parents to always get top grades. But in many other cultures, education is dismissed as important, and work ethic is replaced with entitlement...everything should be done for them. Too often, both parents work, neither has time, or both are too tired to help the child outside of school. School is seen as child care more than a way for the child to make a better life for themselves. To me, this is the fundamental thing that needs to change for more effective education.
