10 General Education Challenges in the USA

Not too long ago, President Obama was praised for the No child left behind act. The act was intended to uplift the general education of America, which is, to an extent, proving successful. The problem is that the act was heavily focused on helping the underachiever to succeed, or at least show some level of success. 

The downside was that the gifted children were left with nothing better to do with their time and never got a chance to excel. Today, the US education system finds itself in all kinds of turmoil and there are more questions than answers. Here are ten of the educational challenges that the USA faces today.

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Classroom size

Classroom sizes are getting too big. Money is an issue and when money is at stake, unfortunately, the children bear the brunt of the consequences. Studies have shown that when classroom sizes reach over 30, learning decreases. The teacher also starts to feel over-burdened. 

Technology

Although technology has its place in education, the negative effects thereof is very evident. The kids of today have a much greater affinity for technology than their teachers and if the teachers cannot keep up, they lose the interest of the students. 

Bullying

The other negative aspect that technology has brought to the table is bullying. Cyberbullying is rife in schools and has ruined the lives of many students. The problem is that a bad word spreads so fast and where the bully was only one person in the past, it has now moved over to a cyber-cloud of virtual bullies. 

Parent involvement

Parents are not as involved in their children’s education as in the past. Their careers take preference over their children and the teachers are left with having to teach basic manners and ethics to their students. On the other hand, helicopter moms and dads interfere with the educational process, leaving no middle way.

Gifted education diversity

The NCLB act has generalized education to such an extent that there is very little in the way of diversified education for gifted students. Although there are programs available, many gifted students are missed because the district school system fails to recognize their talent. 

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Student health

Technology is responsible for yet another educational issue and that is student health. Kids aren’t as active as they used to be because they are glued to their screens most of the time. They get little to no physical exercise, which leads to obesity and other physical ailments. The study process should be interrupted by sport. You need to train more to have good physical and mental health. There is no problem with studying faster and with finding technology essay topics! Just try to be organized!

Closing schools

The economic times have also constrained the budgets of many schools, in some cases, to the extent of closing down schools. This puts more pressure on the remaining schools to take in the students who have nowhere else to go. 

Teacher innovation

Teachers are overburdened and have to jump through so many hoops that there is little space or time for innovation. The students of today are different from a couple of decades ago, but the teachers have not adapted well enough to teach the new breed of students. 

Funding

Budgets are being cut to the bone, which leaves schools with an inability to employ extra staff. Apart from the staff that is being cut, the schools also don’t have too much left over to acquire new resources and extra services. 

Student attitudes

Students don’t necessarily want to be in school and they make that fact known. They are very vocal about their dislike for school and are now showing their disdain by their lack of academic commitment. Students don’t feel like learning because they already have a device that can provide an answer at the push of a button. 

Conclusion

With the ever-present and ever-changing presence of technology, it is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate the educational waters. Before the effects of new technology can be assessed or researched, another technology emerges. 

It seems as if there are more questions than answers and the teaching profession is under a lot more scrutiny than in the past. Both students and teachers need to reassess where they are and how to improve the situation for the future. 

Author Bio:

Elizabeth Skinner is an academic counselor who’s on a mission to help students make the best decisions on how they want to shape their future in terms of academics and life after college. She also works as a freelance academic writer and editor for online writing services. When she’s not at work, she practices yoga, learns oil painting and goes for long walks.