by Craig A. Butler
Daily Lobo Columnist
One of the most often lamented facts of American society is the ever-declining state of our primary education systems.
Asian and European students often score much higher in standardized tests on math and science than American students do. In response, politicians trot out plan after plan to revitalize our children's' educations. Thus far, none have made a significant difference.
A big part of the trouble is that most plans to reform education involve throwing more money at the problem. More money is definitely needed, but the ways in which that money is used don't seem to be helping.
What is needed in America's classrooms is not only more money, but a better sense of what is to be taught. Right now, there is no real concentration or syncretism in primary education philosophy. In particular, children are not being educated to understand the science of the world around them.
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It is not hard to find people who are dedicated heart and soul to a cause, but do not understand the basic science underlying their position. Worse yet are those who are easily persuaded to an erroneous line of thinking because they do not know how to critically examine the evidence for themselves.
The actual mechanics of science are less important than a critical mindset. Every day we are bombarded by advertisements, promotions, new "formulas" and "advanced" products. A particularly good example of marketing targeted at the uninformed is political campaign ads. They vilify their opponents, often citing a bewildering list of offenses, without really providing the viewer with useful information.
In a political system where the people choose the government, the ability of the people to distinguish fact from lies will skew the outcome. Ideally, well- informed, critically thinking citizens would carefully examine the evidence, intelligently weigh the alternatives, and vote for the best candidate. No one pretends that this happens.
Instead, the political system as it stands now is sharply divided by party politics, focused on sensationalizing candidates rather than providing solutions, and dedicated to enriching the lives of those chosen to run for office. Few attempt to approach the subject of government objectively and with the best interests of the people at heart.
If we are to live in a free society, then the most important factor in steering the government intelligently is the quality of education that each voting citizen receives when they are young. Without a basic understanding of the principles of research, critical thinking and factually supported conclusions, voters are making their decisions based on everything but reality.
Even more tragic is the rising amount of non-voters. Each year, the number of Americans who seem to think they have no power to change what the government is doing rises. Every non-voter only makes those who do vote more powerful. We are slowly inching toward an oligarchy of the highly opinionated, where only those with extreme opinions can be bothered to go to the voting booth.
For those who do vote, how many take the time out of their schedules to really evaluate the pros and cons of each candidate? How many simply walk into a voting booth and hit the "straight party ticket" button? How many decide which amendments and bond issues to vote for by reading the two-sentence description on the ballot?
When considering the issues facing us in this upcoming election or any other exercise of democracy, we must remember that a democracy is only as strong as the people in it. Don't expect the country, state or city to improve if you don't take the time to educate yourself and others about the issues. And keep in mind that as the quality of our education systems decline, so too will the ability of each new generation to make informed decisions in the ballot box.
