Comparing various institutions within the United States to similar systems in other countries is often the same as comparing apples to oranges. The U.S. K-12 education system is a great example that makes these comparisons only vaguely relevant and useful.
On the surface, it is natural and easy to compare the United States to its counterparts on the international stage. It is just as normal and often wise to look at what other countries are doing right and want to apply them to our own systems.
The U.S. education system is no exception. While the U.S. has the top ranked education system in the world, according to US News and World Reports article, “Best Countries for Education,” there is room for improvement as exhibited by the nations ranking in areas such as math and science, 38th and 24th respectively internationally.
Sources:
National Center for Education Statistics
National Education Association
What seems to be overlooked when it comes to comparing the U.S. education system to other countries is the sheer size of this critical institution. Putting it into perspective, the U.S. public schools currently have approximately 49.5 million students in the K-12 system.
The U.S. K-12 population exceeds or comes extremely close to the entire population of most countries, including the United Kingdom (67.7 million), Italy (58.8 million), and Spain (47.5 million). According to the Worldometer, which tracks worldwide population numbers, only 30 countries have populations higher than students in the U.S public school system.
Adding to the complexity of the U.S. education system is state regulations. Each state ultimately has the responsibility of its own education system with some oversight from the Department of Education. This accounts for the variance from state to state regarding overall standards. In addition, this makes it extremely difficult to make wide sweeping changes across the entire system, unlike in other countries.
The U.S. education system is also a strong representation of the multi-cultural aspect of the country. The US is home and host to almost every culture in the world. Out of the 49.5 million students, approximately five million are classified as “English Language Learners,” or students that are learning English as a second language.
Comparison is often a great way to help improve upon an existing system. Comparing the U.S. education system, specifically, to other countries is also a good way to establish where the country’s education stacks up against others leading the way and helps identify deficiencies in the system. The size and complexity of the U.S. system makes it exceptionally challenging to make widespread educational changes based on what other countries are doing. Even those that are doing it right.
