Intelligence of a country and mandatory education, or at least higher standards.

How do countries compete successfully in academics ? What can be done to make a country more advanced scientifically and to further the intelligence of a nation? Should there be forced education beyond college ?

These are all questions we should be asking ourselves. Mandatory education stops at the age of sixteen years old in The United States. I believe it should last until twenty-one years of age. Although, optimistically, it could brighten the minds of our country, it could also take away from the freedom of people who would have dropped out of school by then and waste tax payer dollars.

We are only as strong as our weakest link. If the average drop out was forced to learn much more our country would be much smarter in a sense. Forced education past 18 years old would obviously violate some freedoms. I would not want America to turn to that unless it was a last resort. You couldn't drop out and work full time, provide for a family, etc. Which only creates more problems. If America can't force education on the masses , they should at least higher the standards for graduating high school and provide less benefits and jobs then they do now to high school drop outs.

Can anyone think of better ways to weed out the stupid ?

Thoughts ?

 

I don't think you have ever studied the theory of multiple intelligences. Some people aren't good at 'book learning.' That is just a fact of the human condition, peoples brains are different and as such they learn in different ways and they learn different things better. Some people are athletic and are not good at learning things like mathematics, but then there are people who are amazing and things like science and math but aren't physical. You can't force people into one educational mold, and by making people learn one specific way you are just going to create and even more inefficient education system. Look at No Child Left Behind that Bush passed, it ruined the education system by setting unrealistic standards that increased exponentially.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_multiple_intelligences

Edit: You are making a generalization that all people who have dropped out of school are lazy scoundrels who leech the system. Some times there are life circumstances that they can't prevent that does this. Also I don't know what state you live in but education generally stops at 17 - 18, not 16.

 

I know it stops at 18 , but in my state you can drop out at 16, earlier with parents permission.

I know some people don't have the capacity to learn as much as others, but high school and below are all memorization and some comphrehension. After that you get into analysis etc. I'm suggesting that we make that first stage larger and harder. There will always be people with low IQs that can't do any better.

How would you strengthen the intelligence of a nation?

 

I liked the communist style. You observe the children's particular talents at a certain age and if they are willing to learn and have the aptitude for it they will continue to higher learning. If their aptitude is for physical/trade work then you enroll them in trade school or send them to a physical labor job. The first I would say 9 to 10 years of school are the most important as it teaches reading, writing, basic math, and interpersonal skills (unless you are some weird homeschool kid.) After that it is just preparation for college and higher learning.

 

The way a country increases its overall intelligence or knowledge is to reward success and make failure that much worse. This is one of the most important aspects of capitalism. If the difference between the educated and non-educated is extremely large, and education is available at medium cost to all, then people will strive for success more. People do not want to be subjected to terrible lives, but currently people are lazy because the safety net is overreaching, and makes the push for education or greatness undesirable to many.

 

Interesting points, capitilism and communism in the first two posts. Which on cultivates a more intelligent enviroment would be a point to entertain this this thread. I honestly have no clue.

 

Well are we arguing in terms of educational efficiency or terms of free thinking? Free thinking would easily be capitialism but commmunism would promote a more efficient education system.

 

That's a hard question for me to answer directly , let me put it in these terms:

Which enviroment cultivates an intelligence that will further the society academiclly and scientifically ?

If that's not too vague.

 

That is hard to say as both could. I mean if you go and look at totalitarian societies, like communism, then they make a lot of scientific advancement. If you look at Nazi Germany they made a lot of great advancements in technology, but the capitalistic society has the money to stimulate the growth of information. It is hard to say.

 

To elaborate on your point if I may, perhaps Capitilism has the funds, but not the capacity or even the leadership.