If you were in charge, how would you shape your country or regions education system? Are there certain subjects that are compulsory that you feel is unfair? Are there subjects you feel should be compulsory? Are there subjects that you feel are important but are currently taught in a poor way, or the curriculum just isn't right?

In Ireland, we have a good educational system but there is a major flaw in the teaching of our language. The way the language is taught is a way of forcing it on kids and teenagers and they grow up hating the language, barely passing and forgetting about it until they are in their 30s and wish they could speak it. I personally believe that the focus of the course should be much more on speaking the language and forming sentences, grammar work etc.

The way it is at the moment is not helping the attempted revival of the language.

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I didn't see a thread like this but if there is one please link me

The educational system in the United States is hideously dilapidated, like seriously. Some states are worse than others I suppose, like the city of New York. The New York Department of Education is being currently ran by a money-hungry pal of a shoddy mayor, which is the same case in many, many other states across the country. In terms of academics, a lot of schools stress unnecessary subjects to be taught and tested on. The safety of American schools is highly debatable, arguing that there have been thousands of cases of crime situated within these schools. As for higher education, as in colleges and universities then I guess they're pretty good, community or private.

I know what you mean about unnecessary subjects, although in Ireland especially it comes down to personal opinion. The main opposition party were saying they would make Irish a non-compulsory subject if they got into Government, which is ridiculous. We are trying to revive the language and making it optional will just kill it imo.

Subjects like Maths I've always found odd. Obviously a basic understanding of Maths is helpful but I don't see why it is compulsory right throughout second-level education.

Meh, I definitely know how you feel. With all that said though there is a lot of opportunity out in America, with or without a decent education is up for argument.

Another problem is the "No Child Left Behind Act", where school standards skyrocket in order to increase a school's performance basically. Lots of people are against it, and hopefully it'll be abolished sometime soon.

I would make schools ranked, instead of age-oriented, so that someone five years of age could be in second grade if they knew how to read, do math, and were on track with current events.

Doing that with most grade levels would be beneficial, it seems.

I would make sure that schools are at least properly funded to start. I would also improve the literacy skills of the students and their knowledge of foreign languages.

I'm not so sure what a foreign language would really accomplish, but I guess just knowing it wouldn't be so bad.

It helps when you nation is starting fall behind in a global economy. Understanding other languages also helps us understand our own language better, understand other cultures, and really opens more doors than we might expect.

I don't see how those are remotely plausible reasons for youth to be taught foreign languages. We can learn more about other people's cultures through more precise ways, and can definitely learn our own language through better means as well. Hardly a language that's spoken on the other side of the world.

But that's for another topic, right?

quote Rome

I would make sure that schools are at least properly funded to start. I would also improve the literacy skills of the students and their knowledge of foreign languages.

Language is very important. Along with the core subjects, language is one of the GCSEs that's highly advised to have.

Personally, I'd do something about class sizes for a start. Make classes smaller. This would create a need for more teachers, but that's achievable. There's a way. Stop pumping money into submissive student appeasement projects and get them some satisfied, plentiful educators.

Another thing I'd do is do away with league tables. Shutting down "under-performing" schools doesn't help. It means pupils have to be put into other, already overcrowded, schools. This not only excerbates the overcrowding problem, it also causes inconvenience for parents. This version of survival of the fittest just isn't working. Getting rid of league tables would eliminate several problems at once.