2+2=4? Maybe Not

Recent statistics have shown that our children are competitive in math and science when compared to the children of countries such as China and India in their elementary years of schooling. However, once our children reach their high school years their interest and success in these subjects decrease substantially, while the scores in these other counties remain high. Part of this can be blamed on the teacher union's preference of putting their own interests before the interests of our children, but I also put a large part of the blame on an ideological shift within the foundation of America's educational system. More specifically, there has been a shift in America's educational system from more of a absolutist way of thinking to a more relativist means of thought. Think about math and science and one can easily see how this shift will affect our children's ability to succeed in these areas. In math and science one has a problem in front of him or herself, and when attempting to solve that problem by a system of rules and guidelines, that individual reaches an answer that is either right or wrong. One can understand that if one comes from a school of thought that puts more of a bias on an absolutist way of thinking, that it will ultimately make math and science easier to understand. Unfortunately, this shift, caused by the feminization of our public schools, has caused our children to put more of a bias on a relativist school of thought. Yes, now there are no absolute answers. Now every answer to every question is up in the air and up for interpretation. Now, in the American educational system, it is perfectly acceptable to question things such as who was really at fault for 9/11. Americans? Jews? Capitalism? Neocolonialism perhaps? Yes, in American's educational system two plus two might equal four, however, it might not. I will guarantee you one thing: In China and India two plus two is still equaling four, and if the United States wants to stay competitive she better undergo another ideological shift back to normalcy.