When I was a young boy, my mother thought that one day I might become a veterinarian because I would often bring home stray dogs, cats and other furry animals, only to be told in no uncertain terms that I could not keep them and to take them back to where I first encountered them. While not of the same degree, I think my daughter has developed similar instincts. This week was spring break at Princeton and she brought home some college friends who live too far to go home for a week( a Canadian, a Dominican and Chinese national). Our Chinese guest, who goes by Rebecca to her friends at Princeton, because she said she liked a book where the main character's name was Rebecca. I learned from "Rebecca" that in her province her school began at 7:30 A.M. every morning and ended at 10:00 P.M. every night except on Saturday when it ended at 3:00 and they mercifully had Sunday off. When asked to describe those seemingly long days, I learned that the school day included time to work on assignments under the supervision of teachers and accomplished students. That the day included time to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. That the curriculum was demanding and the expectations of student performance high. There are many lessons I gleaned from this short visit by Rebecca. Interestingly the Wall Street Journal ran a story this Saturday, titled "The Kase for Saterday School". Which reinforced what I learned first hand from Rebecca. The Chinese spend 41 more days per year in school than the typical American kid. Albert Einstein once said that genius is more perspiration and inspiration. If we as a nation do not address these educational deficits, our economy, our standards of living and our ability to compete will be dramatically impacted in a negative way. The fact is - it already has. Our thinking about public education is no longer just an issue for parents, children and teachers. This is an issue for us all, particularly business leaders. There is no avoiding the reality that our education system is long overdue for dramatic and radical change for the benefit of our youth, our businesses and our country.
March 23, 2010
