Critique of the American Education System

Up until middle school, doing homework was not the norm for me. I attended Westwood Elementary where homework was nonexistent at the time. I never had to go home and practice my math skills or do any school activities outside of school. Looking back, I feel that I learned better that way. Instead of spending my free time doing homework, I spent time with my family and was well-rested every day.

Today, most American students have homework and take standardized tests. Homework feels like busywork. I don’t remember the last time I actually learned something by doing homework. Not to mention, it’s very easy to copy work from another student. Our education system has not changed much since it was first established in the mid-1600s. In Springdale public high schools, students attend school from 8:45 am to 4:00 pm. We have the longest school hours in the area, even though longer school days have not been proven to be effective in learning. 

One of the best-recognized educational systems in the world is the Finnish education system. Unlike the United States, Finland has shorter school days, no homework, no national standardized tests, and their students outperform American students. The Finnish educational system focuses on cooperation instead of competition. According to the Wall Street Journal, Finnish students are some of the smartest in the world. American students were ranked as “C” students. Something must be done to improve education in the U.S. Even after all the stress some students are put under, we are behind in education. 

In conclusion, I believe there should have less homework and have shorter school days. Piling up homework on students isn’t helping them. Instead, it causes stress, which could lead to serious health problems later on. School should be about learning to use critical thinking skills instead of just passing. Children are our future, so we need to invest in their education in order to progress in the world.