Today, in the era of high-tech, super smart computers are extremely fast internet education is vital. The ability to write, to count and to read is not a privilege available to a limited number of people, but a necessity, with which we are confronted on a daily basis. Nelson Mandela has once said: «education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world» and there is no doubt about truthfulness of this statement. Issues that are questionable are the qualitative and quantitative indicators of these education. Can we say that today people are overeducated? Can we say that children are overeducated today?
According to Oxford Dictionary, word «overeducated» means «having been educated to a higher academic level than is necessary». Have you ever met a child that would have an academic level? I highly doubt you have. Sixty four percent of respondents of debate.org website agree with the statement that children are not overeducated today (Debate.org, Children Are Overeducated).
Today, in the western world, it is hard to find a child who does not know how to use a smartphone or tablet, or does not know how a computer is turned on and off, or does not know the name of a hero of the popular tv-show or movie. But is this education? Or can a child, that knows how to use almost every application in the world (which is impossible) be overeducated? The answer is obvious.
According to the United Nations report, «millions of children in poorer countries can not read or do simple sums». The report also states that today there are over «fifty seven million children, who do not have a school to go to». As for me, these figures are schocking and indicate on a very low level of education in the countries, that are developing.
If we take for example the highly developed countries of the Western world, the situation with the education here is better, but still leaves much to be desired. According to broadeducation.org website, American students are “not learning the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in today’s world”. Statistics for 2011-2012, provided by NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) on broadeducation.org website states that “two out of three eighth-graders can not read proficiently”. Other statement indicates that “nearly two-thirds of eighth-graders scored below proficient in math” and that “1.1 million American students drop out of school every year”. What sense it makes to talk about overeducation of children if there level of education is not even reaching acceptable and most of the children are undereducated.
Thenewamericanacademy.org website also reports about low level of education of American children. According to thenewamericanacademy.org, American public schools are “in dire crisis”. The data provided on the website reports that “only 13 percent of African-American and 15 percent of Latino high school graduates are considered college ready”. This means that, respectively, 87 percent of African Americans and 85 percent of Latino after they graduate will go to look for a job and no one knows whether they will or will not find a proper job and will not be involved in gabling, drug dealing or prostitution.
Today, many people say that the education system we know is a relic of the past and that it must give way to self-education. Self-education with the help of internet is a great tool to learn and gain new skills. With the help of internet you can access almost any educational resource or book. But who will teach us to read what will be written under the reference in the internet browser or, at least, write the necessary request for it.
References
Overeducated (n.d.) Oxford Dictionary. Language Matters. Mar 29, 2016. Web. Retrieved
Mandela, N. (n.d.) Education Quotes. Brainyquote.com. Mar 29, 2016. Web. Retrieved from:
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_education.html
Debate.org (n.d.) Children are Overeducated. Debate.org. Mar 29, 2016. Web. Retrieved
BBC (29 Jan, 2014) UN Calls for Change as 57 Million Children Have no School.
BBC.CO.UK. Mar 29, 2016. Web. Retrieved from:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/25935185
Broadeducation.org (n.d.) Our Public education System is in Deep Distress.
Broadeducation.org. Mar 29, 2016. Web. Retrieved from:
http://broadeducation.org/about/crisis_stats.html
The New American Academy (n.d.) Education Today. Education in the
Modern age. Thenewamericanacademy.org. Mar 29, 2016. Web. Retrieved from:
http://thenewamericanacademy.org/index.php/home/our-philosophy-menu/education-
today
