Michael Freedman
Stefan Theil
Video responses to The Davos Question
ISSUES 2009: How to Fix the World
Side effects from lipitor.
Yes, mess such as these in the financial markets have a huge impact and draw attention. Unfortunately, others create rot that don't get noticed. The impact takes a far longer time to creep in but will be just as damaging to the US. One is the dismal US educational standard. A few universities such as MIT, Harvard, UC Berkeley are world renowned, justifiably so. But they mask the appalling standards in many other american universities. I taught in one US state university external programme overseas and found my 15 year old daughter in a local school tackling stuff way above the university curriculum. Its hype about "amercian" style education with emphasis on "interactions" looks nothing more than a cover for dismal standards. Examination performance is considered as something to be deemphasized and lecturers are asked to "adjust" the final results. Students "score" by just knowing how to make noise "interacting" in class. The whole thing reminds me of the emperor who wore no clothes. What could be the long term effect on the US as a superpower if its university graduates can only match against the high school standards elsewhere? How could "degree inflation" and standards erosions catch the attention of anyone before it is too late? Too much to ask I am afraid.