An online teacher poll of the week asked the following question: Do you feel appreciated by your students? Yes 60.0% No 40.0% Out of a total of 435 votes, only 60 percent of the teachers believed they are appreciated by their students. This is really sad.
The most recent U.S. Census Bureau says that about 33 percent of women in the United States that are of the ages between aged 25 to 29 had a bachelor’s degree or more education in 2007. This was compared with 26 percent of their male counterparts.
In a report called the Educational Attainment in the United States: 2007, among adults 25 and older, the stats said that men remained slightly more likely than women to hold a bachelor’s degree at 30 percent which is compared to 28 percent. The percentage for women rose between 2006 and 2007 up from 27 percent, but for men, it remained statistically unchanged.
It would appear from research that more education continues to pay off as adults with advanced degrees typically earn four times more than those with less than a high school diploma.
The report also shows that in 2007, 86 percent of all adults who were 25 years and older said that they had completed at least high school; 29 percent had bachelor’s degree. About 52 percent of Asians, more than half, who were 25 and older had a bachelor’s degree, compared with 32 percent of non-Hispanic whites, 13 percent of Hispanics and 19 percent of blacks.
The proportion of the foreign-born population with a bachelor’s degree or more was 28 percent, compared with 29 percent of the native population. But the proportion of naturalized citizens with a college degree was about 34 percent.
Workers 18 and older with a bachelor’s degree earned an average of $56,788 in 2006, while those with a high school diploma earned $31,071.
Among those whose highest level of education was a high school diploma or equivalent, non-Hispanic white workers had the highest average earnings at $32,931, followed by Asians at $29,426 and blacks who made $26,268. Average earnings of Hispanic workers in the same group was $27,508.
Asians made $88,408 among workers with advanced degrees, while non-Hispanic whites made $83,785, which is higher average earnings than Hispanics at $70,432 and $64, 834 for blacks.
Statistics also prove that as outside groups gets involved in a child’s life, assisting with their schoolwork, or family issues, there is a much greater appreciation for school, education and teachers as well.
SOURCE: Data is from the 2007 Current Population Survey’s Annual Social and Economic Supplement.
By: Kristin DeAnn Gabriel
Posts Tagged ‘Adults’
Reality Check – Education in the US
March 4th, 2010Spanish Schools – What is Education in Spain Like?
January 11th, 2010
Obviously, if you have children and you wish to move to Spain, then the schooling of your children will be your most important priority.
In fact, the overall welfare of your children will probably be the deciding factor as to whether any move to Spain is actually possible and their educational needs may define where you live. Certainly it is true to say that the happiness of your children in Spain will be critical to the success of your relocation. If children are unhappy then this can place tremendous stress upon the adults within a family – to the point at which it can strain a previously good working relationship.
Fortunately, education in Spain is good, albeit that (like the UK) considerable care is required if you are to obtain the best possible results. Of course, the big difference in Spain for a child is that they will be taught in Spanish (and sometimes in a regional dialect, such as Valenciano). As few North European children speak Spanish, it makes their entry into the Spanish schools system sensitive and it can mean that it takes a while for your child to settle. That said, it is extraordinary how fast children pick up a new language and I have only ever known one child unable to learn Spanish.
Of course, timing has a huge part to play when it comes to placing a child into normal (not international) Spanish schools. Without doubt, the younger a child the easier it is for them to assimilate Spanish and to therefore get to grips with education in Spain and the academic work itself. A far greater problem is faced by older children and experience has shown that there is an age at which children find it, to all intents and purposes, impossible to both learn a new language and deal with the demands of increasingly complicated academic work. In essence, the danger time for moving a child into Spanish schools (if they speak no Spanish) is when they are around 12 – 13 years old. Earlier than that and most children will easily learn the language and be able to catch up with the academic work. Older, and it will become difficult (to impossible), for them to keep up with their peers – and not to be able to do so will be demoralising and damaging during a vulnerable time of their lives.
Education in Spain for children is compulsory from the ages of 6 to 16, with primary education lasting 6 years – followed by four years of compulsory secondary education at the end of which a Certificate of Education is received. State Spanish schools are free and normally school uniform is not worn. However, the purchase of school books is the responsibility of parents and can be quite costly (around 300 Euros per child per year). After the age of 16, children can continue with their education in Spain and go to vocational institutes or study for the academically demanding (and highly regarded) Bachillerato. The latter takes two years and is needed should a child wish to attend university.
State schools tend to be as variable as in the UK and much depends upon the precise intake area. It is therefore always wise to check very carefully the reputation of what may become your local Spanish school. Of course, there are private Spanish schools which can often be a very wise choice. These can provide a superb education in Spain within environments that are controlled, safe and that have high aspirations for their students. They provide terrific value for money compared to the cost of their UK (for example) counterparts and, if you can afford it, are well worth using for your children. Fees (2008) vary considerably but can be around 350 euros per month (10 months).
Equally, Spain has a scattering of international schools which provide, in English, a British curriculum. Oddly enough, these Spanish schools frequently have a high proportion of Spanish children, as the wealthy Spanish have a strong urge to ensure that their children are completely fluent in Spanish. They are particularly pertinant if you wish to move to Spain and your children are over the age of 12. As a parent with two children, I have been very impressed by the standard of education in Spain – and my son now is attending university having passed the Bachillerato. This has been a tremendous success (he started Spanish schooling when he was 13) and proof that the existing system of education in Spain works for foreigners!
By: Nick Snelling
