Reading Respond
The education reforms are targeted at mounting pressure on teachers and students to raise their performance. An education system demands performance measurements and evaluation on a regular basis. In this context, tests cannot be relied upon as the only performance evaluation strategy by government agencies in making crucial decisions. This system presents an opportunity for the students to interact and acquire knowledge from tutors (Ravitch, 2012). This knowledge influences their emotional and psychological/intellectual welfare. If an organization bases its evaluation solely on the intellectual student welfare, then it overlooks the emotional welfare fact that an action that makes the process ineffective (Orfield, 2010). I therefore concur with Diane Ravitch’s views on the education reforms introduced by the government through organizations such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). In addition, the reform threatens the existence of special schools as well as public schools. This is because of the fact that special schools put more emphasis on knowledge acquisition (Strauss, 2010).
Case of France
The educational reforms taking place in France seek to bridge the gap between rich and poor families in the community. The French middle school system would be changed to allow the access of students from poor families to education in a consistent manner. This ensures that pupils have equal chances of excelling in life. The official age for intake as proposed by the education minister was 11 to fifteen years. These reforms attracted many partners, including the teacher’s union and education stakeholders (Ravitch, 2010). These reforms would lead to the release of unqualified personnel to the market – a factor that is detrimental to the economy. The reforms are similar to the ones instituted in the United States because in both cases, the changes fail to address the teacher’s plight. On the other hand, the initiative acts as a de-motivator for human capital that assists the government in the education sector. Moreover, social justice for teachers is not addressed (McPartland, 2015).
References
McPartland, B. (2015, May 19). “French school reforms: Why the almighty fuss?” – The Local. Retrieved from http://www.thelocal.fr/20150519/french-school-reforms-why-all-the-fuss
Orfield, G. (2010). “Policy and equity: A third of a century of educational reforms in the United States”. Prospects, 22(2), 241-268. doi:10.1007/BF02736906
Ravitch, D. (2010, March 23). NEA – Excerpt from “The Death and Life of the Great American School System.” Retrieved from http://www.nea.org/home/39774.htm
Ravitch, D. (2012, July 28). Diane Ravitch Defends Public Education [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb1Lsod2nts
Strauss, V. (2010, March 24). Book TV: Afterwords: Diane Ravitch, “The Death and Life of the Great American School System” [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-SFAyyZTjE