After reading my last post and reflecting on topics covered in our UCT sessions, I realized I forgot some of the questions that I was most engaged with and were left relatively ambiguous. There are a couple of points I wanted to pose to others, for further understanding as well as to challenge you to think about a few things.
The first was statistics on how other countries recruit their teachers. Top countries recruit from the top 30% of their students. For example:
South Korea 5%, Finland 10%, Singapore 30%
I am unsure of the United States statistics on this, but I feel it is probably top 50%. Sadly, our teachers are not highly esteemed, like these other countries. This is probably because we do not pay our teachers very well, nor hold them in high regard. Everyone thinks that they could do a better job or that teachers don’t deserve their salaries whether because of jealousy of summers off or the old saying “Those who can’t do teach.” Perhaps this is because we do not have the smartest people teaching. But perhaps this is because these people who have gone through extensive college years and training are not valued. It is a double edge sword. Curious as to what others think about this… Should we change our standards for our teachers? Or should we just become better informed about what they do? Also, can we stand to pay our teachers more, or will this further bankrupt our state governments?
In addition to this, I was fascinated to discover the role of Hollywood across the world. Almost every movie poster I have seen here is a mainstream American movie. People are not joking about our globalization influence. This makes me think of another point from UCT, about American perceptions about Africa. According to a study done by a Michigander a while ago, apparently most Americans believe Africa to be jungle and barbaric because of the movie Tarzan. Yes, Tarzan! And to think, people disagree that Disney movies do not influence kids! The subtle messages we miss everyday. Amazing.
In addition to these fascinating points, a couple of other philosophical points intrigued me. In 2008, there were extensive xenophobic attacks in South Africa. (Fear of foreigners). 69 people were murdered, while millions of others were injured and displaced. While some may say we do not exhibit xenophobia in the United States, we definitely do with our immigration fears. I am interested if people think such violence could occur in our country?! Personally, I do not think it will because I think socially we condemned that kind of behavior with the end of the violence during the Civil Rights. However, I am curious what other people think. Also, what do you think is a viable solution to our fears and anger regarding immigration? What is a practical solution? How do we deal with these fears across borders while respecting each other and not fearing distance? Is the only fear about immigration an economic one?
Lastly, one comment struck me throughout the week: “Is the type of schooling received in this country appropriate for the needs of this country and the issues/systems that students are stepping into? A.k.a: What would be the most appropriate education for South African students? On another note, what would be the most appropriate education for U.S. students? My thoughts go directly to social education for South Africa because there are such extensive social issues that exist here, but you could also say that about the United States as well, but in a different context. Of course math and science must be emphasized so countries can compete internationally and on a technological scale, but we also must extensively prepare students for the social situations they will likely face. Racial and class therapy are crucial for South Africa in my opinion, and attention to global influence is necessary in the United States. What are your thoughts?
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