Over the past several years, various international assessments of students’ factual knowledge of mathematics and science have placed U.S. students squarely in the middle in comparison with their peers in other industrialised countries. Experts are concerned that shortages of workers with the ability to apply scientific reasoning and mathematical logic to new problems may signal a decline in U.S. leadership in these areas.
Nobel laureate Milton Friedman assigns the blame to lack of school choice. Friedman recently said that the science scores are “disastrous” but not unexpected, given the “Soviet-style” monopoly of public K-12 education in the U.S.
Source: Cheryl Wetzstein, Science Dunces? Washington Times, December 27, 2001.
For text http://www.washtimes.com/culture/20011227-71922520.htm
For more on International Comparisons http://www.ncpa.org/iss/edu/
RSA Note: Milton Friedmans comment applies equally to all countries in which government dominates schooling and disallows or discourages school choice. Spectacular improvement awaits any country that allows private providers to supply all education in a totally open and competitive environment. Governments should withdraw from the business of providing education and confine themselves to funding those who would otherwise receive no education at all.
Eustace Davie, Director, FMF.
FMF 02/01/02
