Miller: Not Willing to Do What it Takes

Jay Miller

Inside the Capitol - SANTA FE - The United States never again will be a world leader in education. Our culture, traditions and the American way will preclude it from happening again. It's a bitter pill to swallow but we must admit that our society is unwilling to do what it takes to be first again - or anywhere near it. The major component of our decline began around the middle of the past century when psychologists decided children should have fun and enjoy their childhood. Contrast that with the trip newswoman Diane Sawyer took to China recently. Many of us saw her on the newscast she anchors asking a classroom of Chinese students what they liked least about school. The answer was "the pressure."

Then Sawyer asked what the children liked most about school. Again, the answer was "the pressure." The responses were too choreographed to have been unrehearsed. But the message likely was very accurate. Read about Chinese tiger moms and learn that Chinese children don't like pressure any better than American children but when the pressure forces them to master a subject or activity, it is a source of lifelong joy. We've heard about the high teen suicide rate in Japan and the same may be true in China because of the pressures put on their youth. But it's not going to make Asians less demanding of their children. Read full column here: News New Mexico

Miller: Not Willing to Do What it Takes