Education all over the world can be called a debatable question as almost every day there appears new tendencies and trends in methodology of teaching and pedagogy, brining new ideas and ways out of the modern problematic situation concerning imperfection of the whole system and, as a result, imperfection of educational level of graduates. This very problem concerning presence or absence of need to reform modern system of education is discussed in the article “Big-city schools struggle with graduation rates” by Greg Toppo, printed in USA TODAY.
To be more precise, it is entirely dedicated to two opposite opinions on current educational system and graduation rates of modern students. The author of the article, Greg Toppo, tries to understand why there appeared some substantial distinction between Christopher Swanson’s and Lawrence Mishel’s statistical data. These both researchers have analyzed graduation rates of American schools and there figures are distinguished more than on 10%.
The Swanson’s findings open a rather bleak picture of overall nation’s graduation rate in the USA that is less than 70% according to his study, while lawmakers and the others go on keeping USA students globally competitive. Among 50 largest big-city school districts, there three graduating less than 40%, these are New York City – 38.9%, Baltimore – 38.5% and Detroit – 21.7% (Toppo 2006). Such situation is given in the Swanson’s study. And from the researcher’s point of view, the problem here is not in 30% of dropouts the problem is that, in fact, this figure is much higher and is be equal to about 50%.
But taking into account that this research was sponsored by the company Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation promoting its own high school reform, the question arises, whether the results of the study are correct. As such low indexes of modern methodical and pedagogical systems shown by the researcher’s work make it clear that the level of education the students leaves much to be desired. And the only thing can be done to improve graduation rate is to reform the whole educational system.
Especially controversial this question becomes, when most recent Mishel’s study puts the overall nation’s graduation rate of the USA at 82%. It is unknown, whose figures are truthful, but the fact is that there is no any reasons for Mishel to contest Swanson’s research, in case it would be correct. While Swanson could have some benefit making his work useful for his sponsors.
To conclude, it must me mentioned, that educational system used at modern school is not perfect, but it would thing over and change thousands of times, if graduation rates just in a few cities were equal to 50% or less.
The article by Greg Toppo arises before the readers two main questions:
- Is the situation at school, really, as bad as Swanson has described?
- If so, what must be done to correct it?
As our society has no answers on both these questions, let us ask the most outstanding educational specialist of all ages. There are three of them who could know the answers: Paulo Freire, Horace Mann and John Dewey.
At the fist question they three, surely could answer equally that, no matter whose study is taken into account, results in them both are rather poor. And these both results are to be improved by some changes.
Paulo Freire would surely say, that the problem is in banking education that annuls the creative power of a student. It means, that the problem is connected with lack of reciprocity between a teacher and a student. The only way to improve current graduation rates in the USA, in accordance with Freire’s pedagogy, is not to achieve enactment between teacher and student, but a deep reciprocity that must be inserted into that notion of student and teacher. Ever existing problems of the educational level will not disappear till there would not be understanding of teacher-student as well as student-teacher terms. That is, the problem of rates is not a problem of lack of knowledge or lack of attention it is a problem of relationship between teacher and student. To get rid of imperfection in educational system means to recognize that the basic parts of classroom participation are the fallowing: a teacher learns as well as a learner teaches.
He sais: Through dialogue, the teacher-of-the-students and the students-of-the-teacher cease to exist and a new term emerges: teacher-student with students-teachers. The teacher is no longer merely the-one-who-teaches, but one who is himself taught in dialogue with the students, who in turn while being taught also teach. They become jointly responsible for a process in which all grow. In this process, arguments based on “authority” are no longer valid; in order to function, authority must be on the side of freedom, not against it (Freire).
Freire would say, that modern interacting provided at school as the best way of teaching and learning was not enough for good results, that is why, more democratic relationship were to be established for better graduation rates.
Mann’s point of view could be the fallowing, to improve the level of education, it must be free with self-interest and morality as its main principles. Perhaps, in the article by Greg Toppo he could pay special attention to the fallowing points, to improve the rates of the present. The public should not be ignorant. Such education must be controlled as well as sustained by not only teachers but an interested public. To his point of view education must be best provided for children from any background and it should be non-sectarian. And what is the most important “this education must be taught by the spirit, methods, and discipline of a free society; and that education should be provided by well-trained, professional teachers” (Mann, 1849). He would surely agree with Swanson that modern school needs some changes and, may be, even reforms to male the overall nation’s graduate rates better. He would say, that American educators are to work schools to be better equipped houses, and a curriculum to be wider.
Dewey’s opinion concerning the perfection of graduate rates would be based on unity democracy and communication in education. He would say about an importance of high level communication between teacher and students. Because for him the most important factor of a high-leveled education is consisted in the fallowing: “What nutrition and reproduction are to physiological life, education is to social life. This education consists primarily in transmission through communication. Communication is a process of sharing experience till it becomes a common possession” (Dewey 17).
He, surely, would say that the teacher should not be a dictatorial ruler. For student’s development and, thanking to it, their better graduate rates the teacher should be recognized as a “negligible factor”, but a necessary one. A teacher’s role is a role of the intellectual leader. Being an educational reformer, Dewey would be able to emphasize that concern of teaching claiming about transferring teacher’s knowledge to student were to be changed into a much better concern based on the student’s active learning as well as their actual experience.
All, mentioned above, let us conclude that for the greatest educators of the past graduate rates as they are, cannot be considered like the most important factors for education. In the centre of any educational process is relation between teacher and student but not the grades the last get while studying. But, at the same time, in case of the right created communication and regular interaction between these two participants of the process of education graduate rates will, surely, become better, because of the high level of mutual understanding. Thanking to such outstanding pedagogues as Paulo Freire, Horace Mann and John Dewey, education is democratic and teachers’ aim is not to give knowledge but to help a student to get it in a process of cooperation. But the modern educational system is not perfect and the participants of educational process are to improve it together.
The article by Greg Toppo shows that even in big-city schools graduate rates are to be much better we could say that American students are competitive globally and these rates were not a problematic question. To achieve this aim a lot of things must be made among which reconsideration of relationship between teachers and students, and renewal of some methods of teaching.
References
Dewey, John. Democracy and Education: an introduction to the philosophy of education. New York: The Macmillan company, 1916.
Freire, Paulo. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Continuum Publishing Company, 1970
Mann, Horace. The Massachusetts system of common schools: being an enlarged and revised edition of the tenth annual report of the first secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education. Boston: Dutton and Wentworth, State Printers, 1849.
Toppo, Greg. “Big-city schools struggle with graduation rates.” USA TODA. 2006. USA TODA Online. Web.