愚蠢的美国人－炮轰美国的教育制度

以前的国内，中央台有个焦点访谈，在新闻联播之后的黄金时段放，也因为抨击时弊，大家都爱看。

后来出了个实话实说，听说也很不错。可是没有看过，不好置评。

美国的ＡＢＣ，有线电视第十频道，美东时间每个星期五晚十点，播放２０／２０节目主持人John Stossel主持的“愚蠢的美国人－学校是如何欺骗小孩的”（Stupid in America：How we cheat our kids）。对美国现行的中小学教育体制和教师联合会的黑幕，进行了有力的抨击。

建议家里有小孩子的，还没有看过节目的家长，有空的时候看一眼。

美国公立的中小学教育，有很多可取的地方，例如免费教育和鼓励学生的创造精神等。可是他在制度上的政府垄断、放任自流、和体制僵化，学时短、没有竞争机制、由学生居住的地区决定上哪一所学校，高额教育投资，还有老师的铁饭碗，都在John Stossel炮轰的范围之内：

American high school students fizzle in international comparisons, placing well behind other countries, even poorer countries like Poland, the Czech Republic and South Korea. American kids do pretty well when they enter public school, but as time goes on, the worse they do. Why?

School officials complain that they need more money, but as Stossel reports, most of the countries that outperform us spend less per student than we do. There are many factors that contribute to failure in school, but according to some, foremost is the government’s monopoly over the school system, which means that most parents don't get to choose where to send their children. In other countries, choice fosters competition, and competition improves performance.

看起来，这教育也象围城：城里的想出来，城外的想进去。

中国式的考试制度，美国人正羡慕的紧呢！