Once children begin school the family schedule changes in many ways. One often unexpected change is homework--unexpected because the homework often seems not for the benefit of the student, but rather is assigned as a “family project,” a thinly disguised requirement of homework for the parents.
The projects often involve crafts – the making of a poster, or self-contradictory tasks as making a one-time use “recycling vest.” This project requires, without a hint of irony, the cutting up of a paper sack to make vest with various recyclable items glued to it – making the whole thing non-recyclable. Some lesson for the students and the parents. Overall, these projects routinely focus on “artistic” ability, and seem intended to shape the child’s world view rather than their academic abilities
Meanwhile, our nation is crying out for students with in science, technology, engineering and math, so-called STEM education. For the most part they are even in desperate need for students who graduate high school with even adequate proficiency in math and science--skills and abilities that are not getting enough attention from kindergarten through high school.
The PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) test is administered every three years and measures the ability of 15-year-olds to apply math and science knowledge in real-life contexts--in other words, a student's ability to apply knowledge using “sophisticated concepts and deeper reasoning skills.” In 2007 (the last year for test scores to be published),US students received an average score of 489 on a 1,000-point scale, 11 points below the average of the 30 countries.
Worse, in math, only four countries had average scores lower than the United States.
Putting aside the notion of whether it is appropriate for grade schools to assign homework to parents, one wonders if creating one time use “recycling vests” is helping our kids be prepared for tomorrow. Certainly, aesthetic development is important to truly enjoy the beauty of life and should be a piece of education; however if the US desires to continue the climb to greater economic quality of life, we must stop neglecting science, technology, engineering and math skills that will lead the way.