tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6399730406480392183.post8002370887992107842..comments2024-03-27T11:18:34.222-03:00Comments on Viable Opposition: Young America - Out of Work and Out of LuckA Political Junkiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03342345936277964422noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6399730406480392183.post-24302264049084583002014-08-07T18:36:46.876-03:002014-08-07T18:36:46.876-03:00Thanks for your comments. I have spent many years...Thanks for your comments. I have spent many years as a volunteer in an elementary school classroom and am always amazed at how few Grade 6 students can reliably multiply two single digit numbers together and come up with the correct answer. Somewhere and somehow curriculum needs to be changed so that students learn the basics. Otherwise, those of us who live in North America will find that our future is mediocre at best, even though we millions of university graduates.A Political Junkiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03342345936277964422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6399730406480392183.post-34406036373319986172014-08-07T14:15:07.627-03:002014-08-07T14:15:07.627-03:00This is a strong post, PJ. One often reads about t...This is a strong post, PJ. One often reads about the dire job prospects of North America's youth (or Canada in my case). The reasons often cited are based entirely on macro conditions. Where emphasis also needs to be placed is on the micro so as to glean a more objective picture.<br />One only need to observe the composition of any western univeristy to understand my position. At my university, currently around 80-90% of the master/PhD (within applied/health science/mathematics fields) candidates are foreign born. Moreover, there is a disproportionate representation of Asian/Middle Eastern, Canadian born graduates in professional fields of study. It is pretty clear that employment prospects for these individuals will be more robust than the average highschool graduate. <br />Further to my initial point, my partner who happens to be an educator at the primary school level (grade 8) asks her class at the start of each year as to who has memorized their multiplication tables. I am always appalled, but no longer surprised, that between 60-80% no not know their tables. When one compounds this with the leftist educational mandate of focussing on building up childrens egos rather than educating them on how to be productive citizens, it is no wonder our youth are losing ground in the international employment race. Teachers are no longer allowed to mark in "red" pen so as to not injure the feelings of students. Additionally, a "zero" percent cannot be given, even if a blank paper is submitted so as to protect their self-worth. Children can no longer be held back a grade and, one school has done away with academic awards so as to not "marginalize" the less academically inclined. When one combines this with an entitlement culture that has no notion of self sacrifice and ambition, it is difficult to put their future job prospects into serious focus.<br />In the end, regardless of the macro conditions that you cite, if the bulk of western students have no personal initiative to be diligent and work hard in academics, their job prospects will be limited.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com