How to Improve the United States Education System Essay Example

Anchors are attached to my eyelids, dragging them lower and lower as my mind refuses to move, like gears rusted beyond repair; I would say it is because it is too early for this, but as it is past noon on a Tuesday, that excuse is not valid. “This” would be an average school day in America. 7:51 a.m. This is the exact time the education of students at my school begins. Even though early school start times have been proven to be less efficient, most schools in America continue to use the general time frame of approximately 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. This blatant disregard for student health is one of the many problems with the school system of the United States. While traditionalists may say the current school system in America has worked for years with few problems, I disagree; today’s school system puts a rush of information on students, leading to depression and a lack of motivation; also, it creates a much more restricted atmosphere than students will encounter in the adult world. 

An interesting article by the New York Times titled “What Students Are Saying About How to Improve American Education” releases student views on what could be changed when it comes to their education. The first section’s heading is labeled “Put less pressure on students.” and the first comment states “Because students have this kind of pressure on them they purely focus on doing well rather than actually learning and taking something valuable away from what they are being taught.” This statement shows that I am not the only student that thinks the American education system is based on a quantity-over-quality scale. This often gives students the mindset of learn, test, forget. This mentality does not typically allow students to fully absorb what they are supposed to be learning. Not only is this large amount of information in a small amount of time difficult on students, teachers also struggle to cope with this method. Carefully laid out plans need to be modified constantly to make sure students understand the material, especially if it is a difficult topic. Not only do they have to ensure students understand the information, they are also timed. Teachers are given deadlines for things their students must learn. Many common deadlines include learning certain subjects by the end of the quarter or semester, which is a difficult obstacle to overcome when your plans are constantly changing. Plans also change when students need to ask questions about homework or need example problems to understand the material. Luckily, some schools are small enough that students are able to get time with teachers during class, but larger schools may be at a disadvantage. 

A solution that could be considered is year-round schooling. Not only does year-round schooling increase the time allowed to make sure students understand the material, it could also create a nationwide boost in general education. Students would no longer have to remember the material of the past year after three full months out of school. Of course, if you are uneducated about how year-round schooling works, you may be reluctant to consider it as an option, however it is not nearly as bad as I am sure you fear it to be. As well as less of a gap between the lessons of different years, there are also more breaks than in traditional schools and are in every season. As I stated above, it is a solution that could be considered for the betterment of the American education system.

Another topic that desperately needs attention is the time frame of the American school day. It has been proven that the school day is started too early to healthily keep up with; an article by the CDC states that students should start school no earlier than 8:30 a.m. Most schools start before 8:30 a.m., in fact the only state that has an average school start time around 8:30 a.m. is South Carolina. When students get to go to lunch, they typically have less than half an hour to eat; the average amount of time given to students is thirty minutes. This is not the amount of time allowed to eat; this is the amount of time allowed to go through the lunch line, find a place to sit, eat, and relax and socialize. At my school, my lunch period is 25 minutes long but by the time I get through the line and sat down at a table, I have a maximum of 10 minutes to eat. For reference, the recommend time for eating a meal is 30 minutes. I have a job and the days I work 7 hours I am not only allowed an hour long lunch, I am also allowed two 15 minute breaks. This is a place where adults work compared to a place for children also do a form of work. While I am grateful I get a decent amount of time to eat my meals at my job, I think students should also be granted that privilege. Giving students an inadequate time to eat and socialize can also lead to students feeling even more rushed than they already are. Depression in students in America has been on the rise and socialization, or lack thereof, is one of the many reasons students in America can develop depression. If a student does not develop depression, they will almost certainly have a lack of motivation to pursue hobbies or other interests and this can not only lead to students having depression, it can also cause a decrease in grades. While it is good for students to pursue activities such as sports, having a job on top of that and homework is stressful. 

As students reach their final years of high school, they have the added stress of transitioning to the adult world. While there are classes such as Home Economics and sometimes Personal Finance, most of these classes only teach the basics and do not go into much detail because they assume students will learn those things from their guardians. This causes many students to be unprepared for the adult world, especially when they have little or no outside guidance from guardians. 

Not only are students often left with little technical skills for the real world, they are also lacking in social skills needed for the adult world. The rules for deadlines and things like using the restroom are far more strict than they are in most other aspects of adult life. Negotiating is an important skill to have because it allows for collaborations in projects and agreements to alter things for the better. Skills such as money management, managing relationships, and other facets of adult life should be included as part of all high school curriculums. American schools fail students in many areas but the lack of preparation it provides it’s young adults may be the most devastating one.

While the United States as a whole is a relatively well-educated country, I think we should strive to be better. This is especially true when it comes to the health of students, both mental and physical. The current schooling system in America needs to be changed for the benefit of the students of America and the United States as a whole. The way students are given information, driven to experience depression, and the unrealistic expectations put upon them is no way to educate the future.