Sept-Oct-2017 NHEG Magazine

www.NewHeightsEducation.org
Do Schools Teach Kids to Hate Reading?
www.NewHeightsEducation.org
Employers Think Recent College Grads Have an Attitude Problem
By: Annie Holmquist
Thursday, August 03, 2017
In a recent exchange of small talk, I asked a friend how the last school year had gone for his child. He replied that it had
gone relatively well except for one thing. School, he explained, was killing his child’s interest in reading.
Nearly two out of three students leave the school system without proficient literacy skills.
When I asked how that was happening, he noted that his child had adopted the mentality that reading was a thing to be
done only in the confines of the classroom. Furthermore, he suspected that his child was growing bored with the reading
assignments, for there were only a few books studied during the year, and those were dissected to such an extent that
interest in the storyline waned considerably by the end of the book.
Hearing such a report from the trenches makes America’s poor reading stats make more sense. According to the Nation’s
Report Card, only 34 percent of eighth graders are able to read at a proficient level. This increases slightly to 37 percent by
the time students graduate from high school. Still, such numbers are nothing to write home about, for nearly two out of
three students leave the school system without proficient literacy skills.
The question is, would these skills improve if reading instruction took a different course? If students were allowed to spend
more time in school reading for pleasure, would interest and ability in reading increase?
University of Virginia psychology professor and author Daniel Willingham thinks that could be a possibility. Based on
research, Willingham suggests that carving out time for pleasure reading in schools can boost understanding and ability as
long as the books are “information rich” and the teacher knowledgeable and quick to recognize the interests and needs of
students.
As it stands right now, reading for pleasure is not common amongst school age children. In the U.K., only a quarter of
middle school students and 11 percent of high school students are allowed to read for pleasure during the school day.
Statistics for pleasure reading in school don’t seem to even exist in the U.S. However, a Common Sense Media study from
2014 suggests that nearly half of American high school seniors “read by choice only once or twice a year.”
To make informed judgments in the selection of leaders, they must first let their minds be “opened and enlarged by
reading.”
John Adams once said that the decision-making of the American citizens was based upon the insights gleaned in books. He
opined that in order for Americans to make good, wise, and informed judgments in the selection of leaders, they must first
let their minds be “opened and enlarged by reading.”
Based on the approval ratings of both President Trump and the major political parties, Americans do not seem all that
happy with their choices regarding their political leaders. Is it possible that some of this discontent can be laid at the feet
of an education system that appears to kill, rather than foster, a love and interest in reading?
Source: The Foundation for Economic Education (FEE)
42 NHEG Magazine | SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER 2017
https://fee.org/
By: Annie Holmquist
Sunday, July 23, 2017
The idea that a college education is the most important element in landing a job is continually impressed upon today’s
young people. As a result, many head to the best university they can afford (or not afford).
But if a recent report out of the U.K. is any indication, a college degree does not necessarily a good employee make. As
the chart below shows, many employers are increasingly dissatisfied with new employee attitudes toward work, problem-solving
and communication skills, and the ability to relate well to customers.
The Telegraph gave backing to these numbers
by offering the real-life experiences of employers,
one of whom is Crescens George:
Crescens George, chief operating officer of
Be Wiser Insurance group, told The Telegraph
that graduates are not prepared for ‘the
real world of work’, and often require ‘egomassaging’.
‘You would expect that university
education would teach some basic business
etiquette, and certainly communication skills.’
Recalling a negative experience with a
graduate he had previously hired, George said:
‘He was not willing to make the sacrifice of
learning through the ranks. I can only attribute
this to the stress of having 50k debt [from
university loans] hanging over his head, and
of finding out that the real world of work is
different to how it’s painted in the lecture
rooms. ‘Had we not had to waste around 12-14 months on unnecessary graduate ego-massaging time, I am sure that this
employee would have tasted his success sooner, and opened doors to leadership opportunities by now.’”
While employers such as George pin these employee problems on issues with college, one can’t help but wonder if they
started long before students entered the sacred ivy halls. Is it possible that the lack of knowledge of business skills, poor
personal communication, and bad attitudes toward work actually begin in a student’s earliest years in the education
system?
Consider, for example, the attitudes taught about the individual. In the words of C.S. Lewis, the education system fosters
an attitude of “I’m as good as you,” regardless of aptitude or ability. Such an idea leads a student to believe he is God’s
greatest gift to humanity, and if left unchecked, will only cause the student to demand greater praise and benefits as he
gets older and enters the workforce.
SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER 2017 | NHEG Magazine 43