Question 1
Before responding to the issues raised by the parents, and passing any judgments, it is imperative to take note of what the law says before any decisions that might go against the law. Secondly, I make an objective analysis of the situation presented by the documentary in order to make an informed decision about what I feel about it before committing myself to responding to the issues raised by the parents. I would then go on to seek information and data from the department of education so as to know their stance on the issues raised.
Question 2
The film does provide statistics and data that helps explain their findings. According to the thirty two principles of Bracey, the data meet some of the expectations that Bracey presents but not all of them. For instance, the findings do not use a norm referenced standardized test which ought to test the material that all the children learn in the schools in their country. The American children go to highly rated schools than the rest of the children, and this translates to better learning environments. The Indian and Chinese children do much more homework assignments than their American counterparts. It will be very unfair to subject these children to the same testing criteria in order to determine how their time spent in school reflects on their overall performance. When approaching the parents I will have to tell the parents to compare and contrast the experiences these children go through in the three countries before downgrading the education system of our country and our school for that matter. There can be a difference in the productivity of our education system but it cannot be compared to India and China. America creates opportunities and that is why children from those countries would rather they come to America to study rather than stay in their countries.
Question 3
The issues raised in the documentary received mixed reactions from parents. There are those who think that we need to improve our competitiveness in the world while others feel that all we need to do is implement for whole child curriculum. It means that there are counter arguments on what should be reflected in the curriculum. In order to address the needs of both groups, it is imperative that I look into the issues that both groups raise objectively. The education system cannot be changed every other time there seems to be completion from other countries. As long as our education system meets the needs of all Americans, it will be good rather than just changing the education system because other countries have changed theirs. Both sides of the argument will be an eye opener to the real issues that need to be addressed in order to make wise decisions in improving our education system, and so, my reaction will reflect the needs of both groups.
Question 4
In the spirit of objectivity, I will raise the issue as to whether parents and the education system are doing enough in ensuring that our children are making good use of their two million minutes. The blame should not be taken by one group and not the other. It is believed that most American children spend their time watching television. There is something that these parents who are raising these issues can do, in order to salvage the situation. In fact, the question being raised in the documentary is not about the education our system is offering, but, what our children are doing with their time to make the best out of it.
Reference
Compton, R. A. (2009). 2 Million Minutes: A Global Examination. Web. Retrieved on 10th November2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bFmWlyBcrs
