Friday, September 21, 2007

eSchool News online - Parents, kids don't see need for math, science skills

I worry when reports like this come out - not the report exists, but that it reinforces my concerns as to why Science and Mathematics instruction is so hard.
By Meris Stansbury, Assistant Editor, eSchool News A new report commissioned as part of an initiative to improve Math, Science and Technology (MST) education throughout the Kansas City area suggests that on the whole, parents, students, and local communities nationwide are complacent about or even resisting efforts to strengthen MST education, failing to realize the opportunities that knowledge of such subjects can bring in the 21st century. September 21, 2007—With lawmakers and school leaders alike stressing the importance of math, science, and technology (MST) education in preparing students for 21st-century jobs and careers, one might assume that parents and students would agree these subjects are crucial to their future success. But a new report challenges this assumption. According to the report, titled "Important, But Not for Me: Parents and Students in Kansas and Missouri Talk About Math, Science, and Technology Education," parents and students say they understand the importance of MST skills in general--but they don't see these as important for themselves. The report is based on a survey of about 2,600 parents and students in grades six through twelve from Kansas and Missouri public schools. It comes from Public Agenda, a nonprofit organization .....
eSchool News online - Parents, kids don't see need for math, science skills I recall once meeting with a parent who told me it (their childs difficulty) was genetic - "in their genes".  Would they tell an English teacher the same thing?  "I'm sorry, but I don't expect my child to know how to read, I found it difficult" - time to keep on trying.

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