Aside from our personal and general public safety, there are few subjects that are as important to us as the education of our children.
We spend a great deal of our tax money, and a lot of money privately, in the hope that the youngsters we love will get a good and rewarding start in life through learning.
Education takes more than money, of course. A good education requires eager young minds, personal motivation — plus good parents, teachers and administrators to challenge, discipline and encourage.
Fortunately, many of our young people make great positive strides.
But sadly, too many don’t.
A recent Times Free Press report reminded that Tennessee ranks 41st among our 50 states in educational achievement measurements.
Can you believe that 21 percent — that’s more than a fifth — of Tennesseans over 18 still can’t read well enough to fill out a job application, read a food label or read a simple story to others?
It’s disturbing that 75 percent of eighth-graders are judged “not proficient” in reading.
Maybe it’s not so surprising that 77 percent of eighth-graders are “not proficient” in math. But that’s still bad news.
And 1.2 million — yes, million — Tennesseans over 18 don’t have a high school diploma or a general educational development equivalent.
That’s alarming, because how can we expect most of our young people to get along well in life and earn a good living — not to mention the sheer enjoyment of intellectual achievement — without a good education?
Of every 100 of our current Tennessee ninth-graders, only 72 are expected to graduate from high school! And only 31 percent of Tennesseans between 25 and 34 have a college degree.
Does the problem begin with not enough seriousness and drive on the part of young pupils, or is something wrong with our teaching, or both. We can’t blame it all on “not enough money.” There is a constant demand for more dollars for education. But even as we spend a lot of tax and personal money on it, results are less than satisfying.
Educational achievement may open lots of opportunities, solve lots of problems and give many kinds of rewards in life. Lack of educational achievement can be painful. Isn’t it a shame that we emphasize education so much, spend so much on it, achieve a lot for some youngsters — but fall so far short for too many others?
There’s no magic formula for educational success. It takes hard work, determination, and parental and other encouragement.
The rewards of achievement are many — and the burdens of failure are devastating. Realizing that, we spend a lot of money and effort on education. We need to get a lot more for our money — and, more important, for our children.