Educational System Reform
Post-Secondary education is becoming more in demand, people need to adapt to the change and efficiently increase knowledge and motivation.
Dear POTUS,
A topic of growing concern worldwide has been the decline of the average IQ. (source 1) This presents an issue due to the exponential increase of knowledge that is being deemed "useless" because machines are capable of handling them more efficiently. Humans are no longer relying on their brains to complete simple tasks, which is fine, but will lead to the failure of understanding more complex concepts. Technology isn't the only thing that is resulting in the lack of information, the educational system itself needs to be altered in order to provide a more efficient and competitive environment for students. There will be more competition for jobs than ever due to machines completing them faster and better, post-secondary education will be a requirement for approximately 65% of all jobs by 2020. (source 2) There needs to be more of an incentive for students to act now that competition will only continue to increase, therefore a solution to this may be implementing a ranking system in all schools in order to enhance learning. It has been found that ranking systems increase results for students, especially in higher-leveled students, while not having a negative impact. ( source 3) A ranking system would encourage students to put forth more effort to attain a certain percentage and would motivate students who are doing well to continue the work to maintain their rank. Students may feel discouraged by not being where they are, but with more work and dedication anyone can reach the top 200 [of their grade level] and succeed in life. Let us address this issue for the sake of our nation that survives based on its people. Knowledge is power and attaining it is not an easy task, we must continue to strive for a more intelligent nation.
Source 1: Baker, Brendan, and Griswald. "The Decline In Average I.Q." The Decline In Average I.Q. N.p., June-July 2013. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.
Source 2: Carnevale, Anthony P., Nicole Smith, and Jeff Strohl. Recovery. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Georgetown University. Web.
Source 3: Cherry, Todd L., and Larry V. Ellis. "Does Rank-Order Grading Improve Student Performance?" (n.d.): n. pag. Web.
