"It's back to school time!"
"How bout noooo?"

Here are questions for debate, with the ultimate question being this : Is change necessary in the system, if so, how much change?

Keep in mind that other countries will have different public school systems. So, try to state what country's education you are critiquing when you answer.

1. What are your thoughts on standardized testing? Good or bad? Why so?

2. What are your thoughts on special needs education? Good or bad? Why so?

3. Do you feel Sexual education is an important class? Do you feel it should be improved, stay the same or be removed?

4. Do you think we should teach more general subjects? A "prepare you for life" class, basically.

5. Do you think the maths classes are important, and if so, important for what? Are they good,bad? Do they need improvement et al?

6. What are your thoughts on the current state of Social studies classes? Do you think they are doing a good job?

7. What are your thoughts on language classes? Good or bad ? Need improvement?

8. Do you think evolution theory should be taught in schools? If so, what about creationism? What other theories?

9. Do you think the social environment in public school is great? Do you find it lacking? Should it exist at all?

10. What are your thoughts on the extracurricular activities? Such as art, chorus, orchestra, JROTC, Sports, or Shop class. Do some need to leave? Do others need improvement?

11. What are some classes you'd like to see?

Answer as many questions as you want. Answer at whatever length you want. Trolling is okay if it's on topic.

Edit : Edited Question 10 to include Sports.

Edited 8/31/2015 00:51:38

1. Awful. You aren't learning for life anymore, you are learning for the test.
2. Awful. They are completely separated from the rest of us.
3. Yes. Improved, people don't listen to "Be Abstinent" very often.
4. Yes.
5. Yes. They build your cognitive functions even if you never apply them.
6. Meh. Bias as always.
7. Not enough experience to answer.
8. Evolution needs to be taught in science class, creationism history/social studies.
9. Yes, and we need more of it. Gym should be a double period, because non-social children do worse in school.
10. The more the merrier applies here, more doesn't hurt anyone.
11. Idk maybe like 21st century skills.

1). The way its being used now, very bad.

2). There's very few real special needs kids in America.

3). Change. A lot. It's outdated.

4). Yep. First class to add: Cash Register Operation 101

5). Again, bad. Schools focus way too much on advanced math, a class that a small minority will use.

6).No. They're boring as f*** and aren't even that accurate

7). Too much propaganda.

8). Evolution is already taught in school s across the US; I actually find it quite disturbing that despite the wholes in the theory, its being forced to much on children. I'm not saying that creationism should be taught in schools, but the fact that their teaching a wildly outdated theory that was proposed by the same people who thought they're were only 4 elements and that gravity was things trying to reach the center of the universe...

9). Terrible. Teachers not to be far more responsible for bullying.

We need to get rid of the pledge of allegiance. It's state sponsored idolatry and creepy as hell, also what purpose does it serve?!

Edited 8/31/2015 00:21:13

Interesting, Smedley Butler. I was just reading a few months ago about the only real purpose for the Pledge of Allegiance in America is to "instill patriotism." Most students have the option to not say it. The moment of silence is far more controversial. What if a student wants to read a good book? What if their opinion is not in line with remembering the dead? Or remembering 9/11?

8. Evolution needs to be taught in science class, creationism history/social studies.

Evolution should also be in history/social studies.

Kids are taught that it's an established fact. Many science books are outdated, or biased. They act as if there's no question that evolution is true; they treat it as established fact.

If treating an unproven theory as established fact isn't propaganda, I don't know what is.

unproven theory

That's an interesting word choice those.

+1 Smedley.

Interesting word choice?
Not really.
Evolution is built on dozens of assumptions.

Also, WTF do you want to get rid of the pledge of alliance?

Seriously, this is why I'm planning on leaving the US when I have the money...

Get off the boat before the idiots crash it...

Getting rid of government propaganda is a bad thing. Regardless of what you think MGSB, a strong military is necessary for every government.

Look at what happened to Rome when it let Germans take over its military. And don't go saying something stupid like, "But that couldn't happen today."

Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

Tyrion, a theory in science is different than theory in pop culture.

A theory is speculation in pop culture.
A theory is almost fact, it's proven many times in science.

However, theories can sometimes be outdated when we discover new things. There once was theory that there were 4 elements that make up everything. We know better now. There once was theory we all came from 1 entity, and everybody believed it because it was constantly supported. But we know better now, ja?

Except for you can't "prove" evolution.

Take the geological column. The geological column is often used to support evolution; yet nowhere in the world does it actually exist, and often times it is found completely out of order. sometimes, tress have been found sticking through geological columns, when, in order for that to happen, it would have required the tree to stay unharmed in place for millions of years.

Also, with the number of asteroids that regularly come very close to earth, I personally find it difficult to believe that the earth is still habitable after 4.3 billion years.

And radiometric dating is also inaccurate, due to assumptions often made. I.E., assuming that when the rock formed, there was none of the daughter element in the mother element, I could go on, but if you know radiometric dating, you get the point.

Could evolution be true? Certainly.

But for now, I still think it's wrong to force is as much as the do on young children.

Edited 8/31/2015 00:42:55

I do not think we need to have as large of a military as we do now. Our military should only be strong enough to defend the nation itself, not go on huge adventures to the third world to aid the rich. And we do not need to make children worship the state.

Try to stay on topic smedley.

1. Bad. Standardized testing implies that everyone learns the same way and has the same aptitude with every subject, this has never been the case.

2. It's good, but very poorly handled. We're supposed to be treating those with special needs the same as any other person but we give them an entirely different school experience.

3. Safe sex and STD awareness should definitely be focused upon more. I'm not a supporter of underage sex, but if it's going to happen we can at-least take STDs and teen pregnancy out of the equation.

4. Very much so. School as it currently set up does very little to prepare students for the real world, pretty much everyone relies on their parents/guardians for that information.

5. Math is important, but not to the degree it's made out to be. Everyone should have an understanding of basic math, but beyond that it should only be for people who are actually going to use it. Forcing kids to learn Algebra when they're going to forget everything after the class is over and NEVER use it again is a waste of time/money/resources.

6. I think Social Studies classes are starting to get overshadowed by the growing obsession with STEM. However, beyond that the only problem is that many Social Studies classes (Especially History) tend to be rushed due to the sheer amount of content they have to cover.

7. Languages classes are great. More variety would be nice though. My High School offered Spanish and nothing else.

8. Both should be taught side by side. Let people decide for themselves on the matter.

9. What Social Environment?

10. Non-Athletic Extra-Curricular groups should be given more attention then they currently received. Most schools seem to care about sports and not much else.

We need to get rid of the pledge of allegiance. It's worship of the state and creepy as hell, also what purpose does it serve?!

Ugh, there's one in every group..

1). Wow, MGSB, you are a moron :D

If we want an army big enough to defend America... we would need to triple it.

China and Russia are both expanding their military forces.

And you're right, we don't need children worshiping the state. We need children worshiping the idea of freedom. Even if that pits them against the US Gov some day (which it will).

10. Non-Athletic Extra-Curricular groups should be given more attention then they currently received. Most schools seem to care about sports and not much else.

Thank You!

Really, I believe they should add a LOT more extracurricular classes. And try to get more kids to take internships.

And frankly, tone down the obsession with sports.

A good philosopher to study is "Thomas Hobbes", Tyrion Lannister. He delves into the topic of Freedom, and how one must surrender some freedom for the security of the sovereign,t he state.

But again, this military mumbo jumbo is off-topic. REMAIN ON TOPIC.

Interesting viewpoint, Eklipse.

For the first 4 questions, we're all pretty much the same then.

Edit : first 4, not first 3

Edited 8/31/2015 00:51:55

And number 4

The US military is already big enough to occupy a hostile country, have military bases across the world and hold down the US. And the pledge does not represent freedom and neither does the government currently uphold freedom. Being spied on constantly does not mean you are free, it means the opposite.

LOL

Holding down the US?

We have millions of illegals sneaking into the US... and you think the military is holding down the US?

personally, I'm of the belief that all male illegals found north of the US border should be shot dead, women should be put into factory's, and children sent back.

^

Edit: not to Tyrion, to Smedley.

Edited 8/31/2015 00:55:07