[MD] school kills creativity

[ARLO J BENSINGER JR]

[Otto]
Japanese schools,and many European ones, segregate students at around 8th grade
into college and vocational tracks.  These countries test their college track
students.

[Arlo]
This is the common practice in American schools too. Our local high school,
among the best in the state, splits into "college prep, general ed, and
vocational strands" starting in high school. This is also what I've seen in
nearly all the high schools I've worked with/in.

[Otto]
The United States has the philosophy of giving opportunities to everyone,
and, according to "The Manufactured Crisis", graduate more quality college
graduates per capita than any other country in the world.

[Arlo]
I don't hold that the American educational system is horrible. But it can do
better (e.g. in regards to international testing).

I mentioned the Finnish and Japanese schools primarily because the one thing
they do do right is integrate education into the practice of everyday
community. Education is valued, in other words, and supported by family,
community and thus the students. Finland sees much more family involvement in
the child's educational tenure, where the norm for America seems to be "send
the kids off, don't be involved, complain about how bad the schools are".

http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB120425355065601997-7Bp8YFw7Yy1n9bdKtVyP7KBAcJA_20080330.html

[Otto]
I have also read information that some of the countries that we are often urged to emulate in their education system, like China, for example, in turn wish to bring American flexibility and creativity to their education systems.

[Arlo]
Well sure, we are better in some ways than some others, and others are better than us in some ways.