Sam Bertolami

British Literature

4th Period

8-10-00

When I accepted the position of Secretary of Education I was asked to design and create an education system that is works. Unfortunately it is my belief that no one person can create a fully functional system of education. The problem with the current educational system is not the teachers, principals, supplies, or budgets [Though the latter two create problems unique to the situation]. The problem with the current education system, and all education systems, proposed or previous, are the students.

A handful of unmotivated students, say 5 in a class of 20, can greatly decrease the measure the amount the other 15 motivated students learn in relation to what they are normally able to learn. This decrease is caused by the slow rate at which one of these classes will progress due to the unmotivated students disposition to learn. This unfortunate trait is all too evident in classrooms of America, causing bright students not to fall back in grades, but not to learn to the total extent of their ability.

My proposal is not that we need a new teaching system, that classrooms must be structured differently, or that students must be further segregated according to their skills. There is no existing reason that the most advanced I.B. student cannot be placed in a class with the lowest student in Tech Prep and the Tech Prep student be capable of keeping up with the I.B. student if the extra effort is willing to be put forth. It is that students must first have the desire to learn. Until these unmotivated students decide to take responsibility and prepare to learn, there can be no true working education system.

In closing I would like to state that this seemingly perfect system of teachers instructing and all the students paying heed and learning is not impossible. Only we are unable of designing the system that can coerce students into being attentive. The students themselves must resolve to make this happen, until then educational systems will forever have the same problems as the systems of today and yesterday.

Word Count: 352