Why don't we spend billions on education?

[Unkotare]

says you, right? well the numbers/facts are on MY side.

Also wrong

 

[Darkwind]

Guys we need to continue spending far less on education than the countries who lead the world in education do. Otherwise how can we convince our children that evolution is wrong and science is stupid?!

I always thought the United States spent more than most other countries. Here are portions of an article from the Huffington Post:

“The United States spent more than $11,000 per elementary student in 2010 and more than $12,000 per high school student. When researchers factored in the cost for programs after high school education such as college or vocational training, the United States spent $15,171 on each young person in the system – more than any other nation covered in the report.

“That sum was slightly higher than some developed countries and it far surpassed others. Switzerland's total spending per student was $14,922 while Mexico averaged $2,993 in 2010. The average OECD nation spent $9,313 per young person.

“As a share of its economy, the United States spent more than the average country in the survey. In 2010, the United States spent 7.3 percent of its gross domestic product on education, compared with the 6.3 percent average of other countries in that organization of the world's most developed countries. Denmark topped the list on that measure with 8 percent of its gross domestic product going toward education.”

Study US Education Spending Tops Global List

Actually, I am more concerned with the comparisons between various school systems within the United States. Some schools with less per-student spending get better results than those with more. Some of the very worst school systems also spend the most. There does not appear to be any credible evidence that additional spending will bring better results in these schools.

I wonder at those numbers. Some of those countries pay for their students entire post-highschool education, which in America is equal to tens of thousands of dollars. AND their elementary and highschool teachers are better paid and better respected.

I think teacher pay in this country is comparable to that in other countries. From the same link provided earlier:

“Still, teachers in the United States earn more than their global peers. But that gap is narrowing.

“The average first-year high school teacher in the United States earns about $38,000. OECD nations pay their comparable educators just more than $31,000.

“That trails Luxembourg, which pays its first year teachers more than $72,000 a year, but far exceeds the $10,000 paid to first-year high school teachers in Slovakia. Among all educators, U.S. payrolls are competitive. The average high school teacher in the United States earns about $53,000, well above the average of $45,500 among all OECD nations.”

Study US Education Spending Tops Global List

I fully agree that respect for teachers in this country is often completely lacking. I believe it is impossible to teach effectively when classroom discipline breaks down. A few days ago, I read about a student who hit his teacher upside the head and was returned to the same classroom minutes later. All I could think was WTF?? I'm 75 years old and when I went to school things like that didn't happen. Way back then, any student who attacked a teacher would have been immediately placed in police custody and sent to a reform school to finish his education. Teachers need to maintain control of their classrooms, but they are not getting the support they need to accomplish this.

I seriously doubt that teachers in other countries have to put up with the crap our teaches are faced with.

My Uncle was a 40+ year English teacher in both High School and at the University of Iowa. He loved it and had planned on teaching until he passed away. That was until 10 years ago. The quality of the parents and students had been (still is) deteriorating, and he finally became disillusioned.

He never complained about the pay as he thought he was more than adequately compensated. Plus, he taught because he loved teaching. He was responsible for initiating a course on mythology in the high school and taught that class for 20 years. Every student loved that class.

In My day, a student who hit a teacher would never return to that class and often to that school, in addition to their parents being charged.

 

[Spare_change]

Guess that means you can't explain it, huh? That's the problem with generalized statements about areas you know nothing ... your ignorance gets embarrassing.

You think I "know nothing" about English -- a language you can't even read?

The list of things you 'know nothing' about is long and varied ... and just happens to include education. You made a generalized statement, and when pressed for details, immediately tried to deflect away from the subject. When my last post tried to bring you back to the subject at hand, you acknowledged your shortfall and tried to, once again, deflect.

Learn it, live it, love it.

That post wasn't about "education".

Try reading it.
Get an education in reading first.

el·o·cu·tion
ˌeləˈkyo͞oSH(ə)n/
noun
noun: elocution

1. the skill of clear and expressive speech, especially of distinct pronunciation and articulation.
   synonyms: pronunciation, enunciation, articulation, diction, speech, intonation, vocalization, modulation;More
   phrasing, delivery, public speaking
   "the producers brought in a teacher to help with her elocution"
   • a particular style of speaking.

Idiot.

i am VERY aware of what your disingenuous post supposedly was about ... it was your effort to deflect from the subject at hand. You said it was OBVIOUS that we needed to spend more on education, and I merely asked how that was so obvious. You can't justify your position, so you attempted to weasel out of it, by trying to raise another tempest in a teapot that had zero to do with the subject at hand.

Quit whining ... step up and answer the question ..... why is it so obvious that we need to spend more money on education?

And yet DTMB provided you with the proof that we spend over a 100 billion per year on education and you idiots spout off about religion. What the fuck is wrong with you? Here is ample evidence that the school children are being screwed over by the education system and you dipshits gloss right over that to make a off point troll remark?

Give me a fucking break and grow the fuck up. These are real kids that are being fucked over by an incompetent bunch of administrators and you ignore that. You should be fucking ashamed.

Obviously we don't spend enough on >>>>> elocution <<<<<.

"Grow the fuck up". I love me some irony.

THE POST WAS ALWAYS ABOUT ELOCUTION -- not education, DUMBASS.

No ... the post was always about you getting caught with your pants down ... and trying to cover up. You failed --- you were caught --- and you tried to change the subject.

ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION - what proof do you have that we need to spend more money on education??

 

[Pogo]

You think I "know nothing" about English -- a language you can't even read?

The list of things you 'know nothing' about is long and varied ... and just happens to include education. You made a generalized statement, and when pressed for details, immediately tried to deflect away from the subject. When my last post tried to bring you back to the subject at hand, you acknowledged your shortfall and tried to, once again, deflect.

Learn it, live it, love it.

That post wasn't about "education".

Try reading it.
Get an education in reading first.

el·o·cu·tion
ˌeləˈkyo͞oSH(ə)n/
noun
noun: elocution

1. the skill of clear and expressive speech, especially of distinct pronunciation and articulation.
   synonyms: pronunciation, enunciation, articulation, diction, speech, intonation, vocalization, modulation;More
   phrasing, delivery, public speaking
   "the producers brought in a teacher to help with her elocution"
   • a particular style of speaking.

Idiot.

i am VERY aware of what your disingenuous post supposedly was about ... it was your effort to deflect from the subject at hand. You said it was OBVIOUS that we needed to spend more on education, and I merely asked how that was so obvious. You can't justify your position, so you attempted to weasel out of it, by trying to raise another tempest in a teapot that had zero to do with the subject at hand.

Quit whining ... step up and answer the question ..... why is it so obvious that we need to spend more money on education?

And yet DTMB provided you with the proof that we spend over a 100 billion per year on education and you idiots spout off about religion. What the fuck is wrong with you? Here is ample evidence that the school children are being screwed over by the education system and you dipshits gloss right over that to make a off point troll remark?

Give me a fucking break and grow the fuck up. These are real kids that are being fucked over by an incompetent bunch of administrators and you ignore that. You should be fucking ashamed.

Obviously we don't spend enough on >>>>> elocution <<<<<.

"Grow the fuck up". I love me some irony.

THE POST WAS ALWAYS ABOUT ELOCUTION -- not education, DUMBASS.

No ... the post was always about you getting caught with your pants down ... and trying to cover up. You failed --- you were caught --- and you tried to change the subject.

ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION - what proof do you have that we need to spend more money on education??

You are fucking dense as all get-out. No shit.
Seriously -- the original post is sitting right there, and you still can't read it. This is the most blatantly retarded series of posts since fucking Special Ed. You're like the piece of string dangling off the end of a used tampon, only less clever.

Fucking moron.
.
.
.

 

[Spare_change]

Animosity - while childish - serves no purpose.

You can't answer the question - just shut the hell up, go sit in the corner, and play with your Hillary Clinton doll.

ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION - what proof do you have that we need to spend more money on education??

 

[Andylusion]

I am an American citizen. I always wondered why tuition is so freaking expensive, forcing some people to take loans from the government, essentially making everyone a debt slave in the long run (sounds like a scam to me). Then I hear about military spending and the billions that get put into it and it just sounds absolutely absurd.
Why doesn't the Government just fund public universities? I don't understand. If we want a better society, the first step is education, no?
What do we prefer: being militarized or being educated?

Ok, let me answer this:

First off, we already as a nation, spend more money on education, than almost any other country in the whole world. If I remember right, there is only one other that comes close.

And yet, our kids are coming out more stupid every year.

http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2012/2012001.pdf

You can dig through that if you want. But the numbers roughly come out to about $340 Billion a year, as of 2011. That is government spending, specifically on higher education.

Keep in mind, that doesn't include K-12 spending. Nor does that include government grants for 'green-energy research' to any of the public universities, or private universities. That's just basic university funding.

Even so, our pay-for-service universities do a far better job than any of the countries with free higher education.

World Reputation Rankings 2013 - Times Higher Education

How many of the top schools in the world, are private pay-for-service universities, and how many are publicly funded?

14 of the top 20 higher education schools in the world, are US based pay-for-service schools.

Second, we can't pay for it. I know you think we can, but so did the UK. But they went broke, and had to start charging.

So even those 6 government funded schools, 4 of them in the UK, are all charging students for education.

In case you missed it, we owe $18 Trillion. The government isn't swimming in cash to fund education.

Lastly, even in our pay-for-service higher education system, which schools generally do better? Private schools non-publicly funded, or the public universities?

National University Rankings Top National Universities US News Best Colleges

Generally it's all the private universities.

And you wonder why?

I just stumbled upon this, literally an hour ago, and it boggled my mind..... get this....

College credit for learning League Check out what these UC Berkeley students did

FYI, League of Legends, is a multi-player online game. UC Berkeley, now offers a class..... with college credit.... to play video games.

And you wonder why 'Merican students are falling behind the world? Publicly funded. YOU are paying for that class. So am I.

UC Berkeley get's money from the local city government, the state government, and the Federal government. 48% of their total funding, is all government.

We are paying to have students play video games, and get college credit for it.

And you want us to pay 100% of that? Are you insane? Not a chance.

 

[Two Thumbs]

I am an American citizen. I always wondered why tuition is so freaking expensive, forcing some people to take loans from the government, essentially making everyone a debt slave in the long run (sounds like a scam to me). Then I hear about military spending and the billions that get put into it and it just sounds absolutely absurd.
Why doesn't the Government just fund public universities? I don't understand. If we want a better society, the first step is education, no?
What do we prefer: being militarized or being educated?

people in the military are paid poorly, no matter the increase in dod spending.

we've more than tripled spending on education (that's taking inflation into account) and it has not gotten better, but it has gotten worse.

Colleges charge so fucking much B/C of gov grants. making the taxpayer pay for life would just cause them to rape the population

 

[Delta4Embassy]

I am an American citizen. I always wondered why tuition is so freaking expensive, forcing some people to take loans from the government, essentially making everyone a debt slave in the long run (sounds like a scam to me). Then I hear about military spending and the billions that get put into it and it just sounds absolutely absurd.
Why doesn't the Government just fund public universities? I don't understand. If we want a better society, the first step is education, no?
What do we prefer: being militarized or being educated?

Your logic would include something I've always supported - free healthcare. Logicly, if a government is going to tax its citizens, then ensuring those citizens remain healthy enough to work and pay those taxes is in the government's own best interest. As with education. Making sure your citizens are smart, healthy, well-fed, hosued, clothed, and able to participate in society in positive and productive ways only makes sense.

Unfortunately, while this all makes perfect sense, it doesn't make ANY sense viewed through a capitalist lens.