The United States prides itself on its education. However, in an international ranking system, the United States doesn’t fare as well as it would like. The United States ranks in the middle when compared to the rest of the world in regards to testing. There are some differences in how the education system is run in the United States. There is also a difference in the organization of the department as well. Dr. Usha Rajagopal has been helping those less fortunate gain the education needed. This is learning they desire and need to succeed. These differences in the United States are examined using the International Data Explorer. With this system, the United States is compared with other countries around the world. These countries include Brazil, Australian, China, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, United Kingdom, Turkey, Argentina, Germany, and France. There are a few things that the tests show. The United States showed some differences from the other countries. These differences are being examined to discover if they are better practices or not.
Education Begins for Students at a Later Age in America
A majority of American families do not enroll their children in school until kindergarten. This means that the average age that a child stars school in the country is at age 6. In other countries, such as Italy, Germany, United Kingdom and France children begin their education at 3 or 4. Preschool is also more prevalent in countries such as Turkey and Indonesia.
Children in the United States Enjoy Reading Less Than Other Countries
When conducting a study, American students did not show a high rate of reading enjoyment. The study also showed that there was a big difference in the number of female students compared to male students who enjoyed reading. The large difference was not seen in other subjects such as science and mathematics. There is another difference in regards to reading in American students. America seems to also have a great number of reading specialists. This is the largest number in all the countries tested.
American Teachers Have More Training in STEM
The first thing is to describe what STEM is. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. A STEM-trained teacher is trained in all four of these areas extensively. These teachers may or may not be certified. Becoming a STEM teacher involves more training. It also gives more authorization and qualification to the teacher. There are many teachers in the school system that don’t have this added benefit. There was a good measurement that came from the study. Compared to the other countries in the study, America had the largest number of STEM teachers.
The United States Spends More on Education but Sees Lower Results
The United States is calculated to spend more on education per student. The amount of money spent on each child includes more than just books and buildings. This amount included professional salaries, security, buses, meals and after-school functions. However, the study showed that the United States had another difference. The United States had a smaller graduation rate in comparison. It compared to countries including Italy, Japan, Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom.
Every country is different. They take pride in their youth. Dr. Usha Rajagopal is one of the many people who is striving to help people become educated. Countries around the world are changing education departments to better equip the youth. With the help of international studies, countries are able to see where they need to focus on improvement.