COMMENTARY: We’ve Lost that Learnin’ Feeling

c. 2000 Religion News Service (Dale Hanson Bourke is the author of five books and the mother of two children.) (UNDATED) Americans are, in general, a competitive bunch. We like to tout our superiority in such areas as economics, productivity and health. But when it comes to education, we have nothing to brag about on […]

c. 2000 Religion News Service

(Dale Hanson Bourke is the author of five books and the mother of two children.)

(UNDATED) Americans are, in general, a competitive bunch.


We like to tout our superiority in such areas as economics, productivity and health. But when it comes to education, we have nothing to brag about on the world front.

Various surveys show American children are learning less compared to their global counterparts. We stack up poorly compared to other developed nations and even some developing countries are gaining on us.

Some state surveys show literacy and basic math competence have slipped so badly they are only acquired by the minority of students.

This issue has not only become a political football, it has also offered entrepreneurs an opportunity to try good old Yankee ingenuity. Private schools and public school management companies have been launched by Michael Milken, Christopher Whittle and other businessmen turned educators.

In most cases, these innovators want to prove their success by touting improved test scores.

George W. Bush is also a great believer in testing. “Without testing, education reform is a journey without a compass,” he has said.

But increased reliance on testing has created its own problems. Cheating scandals have surfaced in several states where the teachers and the schools themselves were found to be giving inappropriate help to students so that the school would score highly. In some cases, teacher salaries or bonuses are tied to school performance on state tests.

As a parent, I find the increased emphasis on testing to be a frightening trend. Education in general, even in the best circumstances, is becoming less about learning and more about scoring.


Even advanced placement courses, taken by the best high school students, tend to be test-prep classes more than an opportunity to engage our brightest in a pursuit of knowledge.

Granted, testing is the only way to accurately measure progress. But too often the test itself dictates curriculum and limits creativity in the classroom. Many teachers complain that classrooms have become more boring and aimed toward rote recall rather than joy in discovery.

In many ways, the emphasis on testing is more evidence of the commodification of education, as we impose our economic mindset on what should be a creative process. “What will it get me?” becomes the natural question asked by a child when faced with the prospect of reading a book or doing an optional experiment.

My fear is that this testing mindset does not better prepare our children to compete on the world front, but in fact, will make them fall further behind.

Americans have always been the great experimenters, innovators and entrepreneurs of the world. They have succeeded in everything from scientific discoveries to literary feats not by finding the right answer, but by daring to ask, “What ifâÂ?¦?”

We need to give our children basic skills, but then we have to ignite in them a passion for learning and a thirst for knowledge. Tests simply need to be a confirmation of a rich and creative experience.


Schools and politicians can only deal with some aspects of this issue. Parents also need to step up and take the time to make our homes centers of learning.

Turning off the television and video games and turning on good music, educational games and a good book takes time and effort. But studies also show that the best predictors of individual educational success are factors in the home, not the test scores of the school or the education ranking of the state.

Schools are out in most of the country. But parents cannot afford to let learning stop for the summer. While the school year may be dedicated to testing, we should take advantage of the summer to encourage our children to rediscover the love of learning. Without it, we lose what has historically distinguished Americans and what will ultimately offer our children the greatest chance to excel.

DEA END BOURKE

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