I’ve noticed that education seems to be a major issue in many countries.
One of the biggest problems is with teachers. Many of them don’t have the right methods to effectively teach their students. For example, in my country, English teachers often can’t speak or understand English well. So how can they teach their students? Other subjects face similar issues, with teachers unable to guide students properly.
A lot of teachers focus only on how long students study each day. They tell students to copy questions they can’t solve, but don’t teach them how to approach the problems or how far to go with them. Students in my country often study for over 14 hours a day but still don’t get good results. I could go on, but I’ll stop here.
The government seems to see education as a problem because educated people are less likely to vote for certain things. Instead of fixing these issues, they attack education.
In the US, the agreement between parents, schools, and students, which existed after WWII, has broken down. No one wants to take responsibility anymore. Everyone blames someone else. Schools used to be in control, and students who didn’t follow the rules were expelled. Now, schools have very little control and are uncertain about everything.
We ranked top in the OECD PISA 2022 for Math, Reading, Science, and Creative Thinking. But on the other hand, students’ mental health isn’t doing well.
We spend too much time on activities outside of learning. Schools have days off for sports events, extracurricular hikes, and other things, but they take away valuable class time.
Racey said:
We spend too much time on activities outside of learning. Schools have days off for sports events, extracurricular hikes, and other things, but they take away valuable class time.
Haha, it sounds like what my parents experienced during the Cultural Revolution. They didn’t focus on their studies much and were just caught up in political activities and farming.
Teachers aren’t paid well and have to do a lot of paperwork that has nothing to do with teaching. Teachers are also forced to spread government propaganda or risk losing their jobs. And there are no real consequences for students who don’t study or misbehave. If parents aren’t involved, the school can’t do much.
@Henry
I completely agree. Teachers in my country face similar issues. The reason I asked this question is that I’ve been teaching myself English for years. I only started seeing real progress when I changed my method of learning. The methods used in schools are almost all wrong. I want to know if others from different countries face the same struggles.
@Brianna
Are you from China? In Russia, we have similar problems with English at schools. The textbooks are bad, teachers are underqualified, and students lack motivation. It’s rare to find someone who speaks good English just because of school.
As for teachers, I could technically teach in a public school, but I wouldn’t do it. I earn much more as a private tutor without all the stress from having to do reports or talk to parents who think they’ve done their job raising their kids. I don’t see a quick fix to this problem though.
@Henry
Yes, you’re right. In Russia, industries like education training aren’t affected by policy changes. Three years ago, my government banned the education and training sector, so now people are afraid to run tutoring classes for primary and secondary school subjects.
I’ve struggled a lot with academics, but I still want to work in education. I want to share the methods I discovered through my self-studying with students, even if it’s not officially recognized. For English, don’t keep referring to translations while reading, at least not all the time. Also, avoid subtitles when listening. There are a lot of small details.
For other subjects, reviewing difficult problems is key. When you don’t understand something, use the answers to guide you, then redo the problems. Maybe you still won’t get it, but keep working on it. I believe that sometimes, leaving tough questions unresolved helps you stay engaged and always gives you something to work on. Time will be used better that way.
@Jean
Well, I still have nightmares about my school days 20 years later, so… stressful? But, there’s less pressure to go to a 4-year university. Leaving school at 16 and entering a trade is still considered respectable. Graduating at 18 and getting a professional certification is also a solid option.
Travis said:
Teachers are paid poorly here, so anyone who knows their subject well is more likely to work outside teaching.
Being skilled in a subject doesn’t mean you can teach it. There’s a lack of respect for the skill of teaching. In America, teachers aren’t valued, but that’s not the case everywhere.
@Mia
Yes, but also, understanding the subject is crucial to teaching. I’m a certified shop teacher with university degrees, and I can explain things in different ways because I fully understand my content. A teacher without that understanding might struggle to explain things in a way students can understand.
@Mia
A normal person can’t learn every subject well enough to teach it. It’s a problem when a teacher has only a basic understanding of the subject they’re teaching. I was taught a lot of wrong information in my coding classes, which is surprising for something that should be a hard science.