High Schools Are 1.0 in a 5.0 World, Gates Says

Bill Gates called American high schools "obsolete" and I fully agree with him. We are by and large not teaching our kids what they require in order to compete in a global talent marketplace. This is exactly what I was saying in the previous thread, although not quite as clearly as I had hoped, about libraries being obsolete. The object of a libary is to provide access to information, not simply access to books. The point of education is to enable students to learn basic fundamental knowledge and how to apply it in order to solve problems, communicate effectively, and be a productive member of society. We're not doing it and we will all end up paying for it dearly in the years to come.

Link: High Schools Are 1.0 in a 5.0 World, Gates Says.

"The more we looked at the data, the more we came to see that there is more than one barrier to college," Gates said. "There's the barrier of not being able to pay for college, but there's the barrier of not being prepared for college."

Gates called for a new design for American high schools, based on smaller schools with higher standards for math and language proficiency, instruction that is relevant to students' goals in life and better support from teachers and counselors.

Comments

[Ben Casnocha]

While I go to a private high school, not a public one, even the educational philosophies of private schools are not aligned with the "real world." If more adults like you cared about the state of schools and the next generation of leaders more change would happen. Keep it up.

Btw, nice blog, though I did like th "daily dish" format better!

[Randy Charles Morin]

And a Dell laptop for every high school student ;)