Literacy and EducationThe American Empire is suffering from a decline in the simplest of requirements for a modern society: the ability to read. While Ivy League universities continue to provide an educated elite with the tools needed to succeed, this represents less than 1 per cent of the population. Declining educational standards are the primary culprit for this deterioration in literacy across the US; rather than addressing the root causes, there is a partisan focus on the banning of certain books, rather than the encouragement of reading in general. As standards decline in schools, many parents are unable to pick up the slack at home as a lack of jobs paying a living wage requires both parents to work long hours, often in multiple jobs, simply to put food on the table and a roof over their heads. The decline in child literacy leads to a decline in adult literacy, resulting in further problems for individuals and society as a whole. A decline in educational standards coupled with a scarcity of skilled jobs leads to unemployment and all the negative consequences that follow from it. The overall result is a population that is losing its ability to digest information, and to separate fact from fiction. Let us examine the data to identify the key issues and explore ways to improve the situation. To produce an educated workforce, high standards of education are required from the earliest years through to university. Unfortunately, instead of leading the world in educational attainment, US schoolchildren are no better than average. Figures from 2015 (the latest available at the time of writing) show that US high-school students aged 15 ranked 38th out of 71 countries in mathematics, and 24th in science. When compared solely with their 34 OECD peers, the US ranked 30th in mathematics and 19th in science. Younger American students fare better but are still not what could be described as world-beating, placing 11th out of 48 in mathematics, and 8th out of 48 in science for 9–10-year-old children; the picture is similar for those aged 13–14. Figures for children in both these age groups in 2015 also showed the first decline in mathematics proficiency since 1990. Why is it that the global superpower is falling so far behind in this area? Many of the reasons stem from a single truth: chronic underfunding. For many schools, funding levels are lower than before 2008 and the financial crisis, leading to overcrowding, fewer programs, fewer teachers, and ultimately more school closures. Declining salaries for teachers also reduce the attractiveness of the profession and the quality of applicants. American poverty, as mentioned previously, requires many parents to work multiple jobs and reduces the time available to assist with learning in the home. Marc Tucker, an education expert, believes that while there is nothing inherently preventing the American education system from mirroring those of the top-performing countries, short-termism caused by swings from Republican to Democrat and vice versa, is preventing a coherent, apolitical, long-term strategy from coalescing. Systems that complement each other at every level of education are required, and progress is not achieved overnight – more likely over one or two decades. Tucker believes that efforts by the Biden administration will provide the funds and time for such systems to be developed. Is this likely to be exposed as wishful thinking, or naivety, if a Republican-controlled Congress and White House are both a reality by January 2025? Undereducated children tend to become undereducated adults, and while 12 per cent of US adults achieve literacy scores at the highest levels (i.e. 4 or 5 on a scale of 1–5), which is about average for the OECD, the proportion of US adults who possess poor levels of literacy is far higher than the OECD average. One in six adults does not possess level 2 literacy skills, compared to one in twenty for Japan. For numeracy the same is true, as only 8 per cent of US adults (compared with the OECD average of 13 per cent) score the highest levels of 4 and 5, and nearly one in three scores below level 2. The US does have the fifth highest number of people who have attained higher education, and this figure is above the OECD average. However, other nations are closing the gap, and only 30 per cent of Americans are now achieving a higher level of education than their parents. This figure indicates a decline in the trajectory of upward mobility and, if it continues in this manner, it is likely to lead to societal stagnation and decline. Make sure to pay close attention to Chapter 3: Society … Decay from within to learn more!
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