Preparing Citizens for the 21st Century through Education Reform
The U.S. economy is producing more wealth while hiring fewer people. I recently watch an interesting documentary entitled Most Likely to Succeed, which discussed the current educational system in the U.S. This system was developed a century ago during the rise of the Industrial Age and was once the envy of the world. Since that time, the world economy has transformed profoundly, however, and the U.S. education system has not followed suit. Schools are attempting to teach and test skills that when mastered, still leave graduates woefully unprepared for the 21st Century.
In the late 1990s, the median household income began to split from the per capita G.D.P. in the United States.
After presenting this problem, the documentary focuses on the story of a school in San Diego that is completely rethinking what the experience of going to school looks and feels like. As we follow students, parents and teachers through a truly unorthodox school experience, the audience is forced to consider what sort of educational environment is most likely to succeed in the future.