Education reform, Finland, and the USA

If you're interested in education or education reform (particularly in the USA), this article, "What the U.S. can't learn from Finland about ed reform", is well worth reading.  It's full of interesting facts and points out some of the fundamental weaknesses (in my opinion) in the US system of education.  It's my opinion that if the USA wants to remain relevant in coming years, there has to be a radical shift in ideology, from "education [being] mostly viewed as a private effort leading to individual good" to "education [being] viewed primarily as a public effort serving a public purpose".  It's my belief that can be done without losing any of the spirit of competition and individuality that makes the USA dynamic.  Whether it will be done looks unlikely however, especially in the current political climate, which is more reminiscent of children squabbling over toys in a sandbox than serious debate about how best to move the country forward.

Who Is Willing to Be Unplugged?

A reading suggestion: Unplugging Americans From The Matrix.  No, it's not an article about the internet.  It's an article that in one respect compares the United States and China and in another respect is critical of some of the things taking place in the USA now.  Actually the author, Paul Craig Roberts, is himself blogging about two articles written by Ron Unz.  The article is informative, well written and concise, but to get the full picture, you must absolutely read the two articles by Unz.  (Links to those articles can be found in Roberts' article.)

I highly recommend taking the time to read these articles.  They offer some serious food for thought.