Why are North American students falling behind in academics worldwide? The culture surrounding education in North America is failing the youth of society. Between being torn away from parents at a young age and the early onslaught of standardized testing and evaluations, the education system along with the attitudes that perpetuate it are a cancer to society that must be removed and replaced with a healthy, functioning system. A new system that engages students and teaches the practical application of knowledge alongside the theoretical will lay the foundation for a robust local and national workforce. This will give Canadians a competitive edge in an increasingly globalized economy. Starting school later in childhood primes a young mind for a lifetime of education. In the article “An A+ Student Regrets His Grades,” Gill explains that Finland’s educational system cultivates some of …show more content…
Because this type of testing measures only how well you are able to repeat what you are told, learning no longer takes place. When students fail these assessments feelings of incompetence are often stimulated. These feelings combined with the expectation of success from society undoubtedly contribute negatively to many aspects of a child's psyche. This system lays a foundation that continues to hinder learning throughout life extending to all generations that follow. Knowledge, without being taught how to use it practically, is all but worthless. Nearly every alumni of the North American education system is all too familiar with math questions posed in absurd scenarios that seem to serve to purpose. If there is no purpose or end goal to the material being taught to students, they have no incentive to apply themselves to learning it. In some cases, this continues in a spiral of disinterest and cognitive stagnation until the student unfortunately gives up on school