Zombili i-K-12 kanye nezinhlelo zemfundo yasekolishi eMelika kwake kwaba umona womhlaba. Kodwa lolo hlelo manje lusesimweni sokuwohloka okuqhubekayo, nokuma ukwehla okungabonakali ndawo.
Ezingeni lasekolishi, inkinga emaphakathi yizindleko zokubaleka. Abaphathi bamakolishi sebezimisele ngokusebenza njengama-CEO ezinkampani, basebenzise imali eyengeziwe ekuhlinzekeni iholo le-CEO kanye namaphakheji ezinzuzo bona kanye nezikhundla zabo zokuphatha ezikhulayo; ukwandisa impahla ebonakalayo (izakhiwo, izinsiza, izinhlelo); ukuqasha 'amakhasimende' angaphandle acebile (abafundi) ukuze abhekane nezindleko ezikhuphukayo; kanye nokukhuphula intengo yezinsizakalo zemfundo ephakeme kubafundi base-US ngenani lonyaka elingaphezu kuka-12% naphezu kweminyaka emine yezinkinga zomnotho kanye nokusimama komnotho ungekho.
Isixazululo sesikhathi esifushane sokusheshisa izindleko zemfundo ephakeme ngabakhi benqubomgomo kuze kube manje kube ukuthwalisa kanzima abafundi basemakolishi ngemali mboleko yabafundi elokhu ikhula njalo; kanye nemfundo ye-K-12, kube ukukhuphula intela yendawo kanye nokufuna izinkokhelo ezengeziwe ezivela ephaketheni yimindeni yabafundi ngalokho okwake kwahlinzekwa umphakathi ngokugcwele.
Ifomula yokuxhasa ngezimali imfundo ephakeme esekelwe emalimboleko yabafundi iwasize kahle amabhange nezikhungo zezimali. Ngenxa yalokho, isikweletu semali mboleko yabafundi sesingaphezu kwamaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingama-900 futhi simelela izingxenye ezimbili kwezintathu zayo yonke isikweletu somthengi. Isikweletu semalimboleko yomfundi sikhula ngokushesha ukwedlula kokubili ikhadi lesikweletu nesikweletu sezimoto kuhlangene. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukuthathwa kwengxenye yokuphathwa kwemali mboleko yabafundi nguhulumeni ka-Obama akukayixazululi inkinga. Uhulumeni uyaphinda futhi ushintshela abafundi izindleko zokubolekwa kwemali ngenzalo ephakeme ngesikhathi enciphisa izibonelelo futhi enciphisa noxhaso lwekusasa.
Umphumela wemfundo ephakeme ukuthi namuhla azikho izinhlelo noma izinqubomgomo zikahulumeni zokuletha izindleko ezikhulayo zasekolishi, kanye nezikweletu zabafundi, ngaphansi kokulawulwa okuthile. Ngakho-ke bambalwa abantu baseMelika abazofuna futhi bathole imfundo ephakeme, kuyilapho abafundi bakwamanye amazwe abacebile bezobuthwa ukuze bakhokhe izindleko ezeqile, njengoba izinga lemfundo emakolishi omphakathi nasemanyuvesi ngokufanayo liqhubeka nokwehla.
Isimo semfundo ye-K-12 sibi ngokufanayo, isikhathi esifushane neside. Ngo-Agasti 2011, isivumelwano sokunciphisa i-$ 1 trillion yedola yahlasela imfundo yomphakathi ikakhulukazi. Futhi izivumelwano zokhetho zangemva kukaNovemba 2012 zosopolitiki zizokwenza lokho ngokuqhubekayo. Uxhaso lwe-K-12 lwemfundo yomphakathi lwehlulekile ukukhula ngokulingana nokukhula kwesibalo sabantu manje amashumi eminyaka. Ngenxa yesimo esibucayi somnotho sakamuva kanye nokusimama komnotho okuhamba kancane nokuntengantengayo, ngisho namazinga ezimali adlule ancipha ngokuphindaphindiwe. Izifunda zezikole eziphelelwe ithemba ziphoqeleka ukuba zinciphise izinhlelo futhi zihlasele imisebenzi yothisha, amaholo, kanye nezinzuzo ukuze zenze lokhu kushoda.
Izintshisekelo zebhizinisi okwamanje zihola umzamo wokuvimbela noma yikuphi ukukhuphuka kwentela ezingeni likahulumeni nelendawo ukuze kuxhaswe imfundo ngokwanele. Isixazululo sabo, kanye nenhloso, 'ukwenza kube yimfihlo' uhlelo lwemfundo yomphakathi.
Izikole zomshwalense kwaba wumzamo wokuqala wokuhlakaza uhlelo lwemfundo yomphakathi, njengesinyathelo sokuqala esibheke ekusungulweni kwalo ekugcineni. Kodwa izikole ze-Charter njengohlobo lwemfundo eyimfihlo zazisebenza emaphethelweni esistimu yemfundo yomphakathi futhi azizange zibe yinto ejwayelekile. Futhi izikole ze-Charter azizange zinikeze ithuba lamathuba amasha abalulekile enzuzo yebhizinisi. Yingakho yengezwe ngohlelo lukaBush oluthi 'No Child Left Behind' (NCLB).
Ukuze wenze imfundo yomphakathi ibe yimfihlo ngempela, futhi uyiguqule ibe isikhungo sebhizinisi esikhulu senzuzo, kuqala kudingekile 'ukulinganisa' imfundo yomphakathi njengomkhiqizo. Lokho kumiswa bekuyinhloso eyinhloko ye-NCLB, njengemfuneko edingekayo yokuguqula imfundo ibe isikhungo sebhizinisi senzuzo. Kuphela uma umkhiqizo wemfundo osezingeni udalwa ungaguqulwa ube isikhungo esizimele sokwenza inzuzo. 'Ukulinganisa' kulokhu kusho ukushintsha imfundo yonke indawo ibe umkhiqizo ofanayo ngokokuqukethwe, bese uyiletha ngohlelo olufanayo olufanayo. Ukuma komkhiqizo kuyadingeka kunoma yiliphi ibhizinisi njengesimo sokuqala sokukhiqiza ngobuningi ekugcineni, ukuncishiswa kwezindleko, kanye nenzuzo elandelayo.
Kodwa-ke, i-NCLB yehlulekile ukuzuza ukumiswa ngenxa yokuthi izame ukwenza kanjalo kuyo yonke imfundo ye-K-12 kanye kanye ngaphandle koxhaso. Umlandeli we-NCLB, 'Umjaho Wokuya Phezulu' ka-Obama, futhi uzama ukudala imfundo njengomkhiqizo osezingeni, kodwa ngendlela ehlakaniphile. Ayizami ukwenza kanjalo kuwo wonke ama-K-12 ebhodini lonke. I-RTT futhi ihlinzeka ngezimali zokuqala zokuqalisa lolu hlelo. I-RTT imele ukuqaphela ukuthi umkhankaso wokulinganisa imfundo ye-K-12 ufinyelelwa kangcono kakhulu ngezigaba, ukusungula indawo yokuqala kanye nokuhlinzeka ngezinga elithile lezinzuzo zezezimali ukuze kugqugquzelwe ukubamba iqhaza emkhankasweni 'wokumiswa' komkhiqizoโokungukuthi, imfuneko eyinhloko ngaphambi kwemfundo yomphakathi. , uma sekuyimpahla yomphakathi yamahhala, ingaguqulwa ngokuphelele ibe impahla eyimfihlo. Kokubili i-NCLB kanye ne-RTT ngakho-ke ziyinhlangano ngomoya nohlelo, zombili ziklanyelwe ukuqhubekisela phambili ukumisa nokuhlanganisa imfundo ye-K-12.
Umbono webhizinisi wemfundo yomphakathi ukwethula ihadiwe entsha kanye nokuqukethwe kwesoftware kanye nobuchwepheshe bokulethwa ngezinga elikhulu ekilasini. Hhayi nje amalaptop noma ama-iPads ekilasini, kodwa uguquko oluyisisekelo lokuthi okuqukethwe kwemfundo kuthuthukiswa futhi kwethulwa kanjani. Leyo yinhloso eyinhloko yabameli bezinkampani abafana noBill Gates weMicrosoft Corp. nabanye.
Okushiwo isimo sikaGates ukuthi ubuchwepheshe buxosha abasebenzi (othisha) ngezinga elikhulu. Ukumisa kusho ukuncishiswa kwezindleko kanye nesikhungo sezindleko esikhulu kunazo zonke, njengoba imfundo iyisevisi, izindleko zabasebenzi. Ngokumiswa komkhiqizo okunikwe amandla ezobuchwepheshe (uhlelo lokuqukethwe nokulethwa), othisha ngeke besavunyelwa ukuthuthukisa okuqukethwe kwezemfundo futhi bazophoqeleka ukuthi basebenzise uhlelo olulodwa lokulethwa oluchazwa ubuchwepheshe obuthuthukiswe yi-Corporate America. Kokubili okuqukethwe kwezemfundo kanye nokulethwa kwemfundo kuzofanelana. Okufundiswayo nokuthi kufundiswa kanjani ngeke kusanqunywa uthisha kodwa kuzonqunywa ifomula ebekwe endaweni eyodwa, enqunywe abathuthukisi bezinkampani bokuqukethwe kanye nezinhlelo zokulethwa.
Uma sebengochwepheshe abanamakhono, othisha kulolu hlelo lwesikhathi esizayo olukhethwa yinkampani baba abaqhubi bemishini abazofundisa ngomkhiqizo ofanayo osezingeni yonke indawo, olethwa ihadiwe efanayo nobuchwepheshe besofthiwe. Othisha bazosebenzisa ihadiwe kanye nohlelo lokulethwa kwesoftware, okuqukethwe kwakho kuzonqunywa kusengaphambili futhi kuhlanganiswe nobuchwepheshe. Ngeke besaba ochwepheshe abanamakhono, kodwa ngeke besaba opharetha bemishini abanamakhono amancane (i-hardware ne-software). Ubuchwepheshe buzofundisa, othisha sebevele basebenzise futhi baqaphe uhlelo.
Kulesi simo esizayo, othisha nabafundisi njengoba sikwazi namuhla bayashabalala, kanye nezinyunyana zabo kanye namaholo kanye nezinzuzo zamanje. Ukuqashwa okuncikene kancane (isikhashana kanye nesikhashana) kuba umthetho ekilasini le-K-12, ngaleyo ndlela kulingisa isimo samanje emfundweni ephakeme lapho abafundisi abangaphezu kwesigamu manje 'basebancane'. Umsebenzi ophuthumayo unciphisa ngokuphawulekayo izindleko zabasebenzi, njengoba abasebenzi bakhokhwa amanani amanje ayingxenye eyodwa kwezimbili kwezintathu futhi banikezwa ngaphandle kwezinzuzo. Ukonga ezindlekweni zabasebenzi bese kusetshenziswa imali yokuthengwa kobuchwepheshe, njengoba izifunda zesikole zithenga ihadiwe nesofthiwe eyengeziwe.
Ukumiswa komkhiqizo nge-NCLB, futhi manje i-RTT futhi, esikhathini esizayo, izinhlelo ezizolandela i-RTT, imfuneko yombono wesistimu yemfundo yomphakathi eyimfihlo kaBill Gates nabanye, lapho okuqukethwe nokulethwa kunqunywa yinkampani yaseMelika. Idrayivu ebheke ekumisweni eqalwe yi-NCLB manje isidlulela esigabeni esisha nge-RTT. Uma isizuzwe ngokuhlolwa, ngokwengxenye nge-RTT, izokwenziwa ngokujwayelekile kamuva. Ngalolu hlelo, ubuchwepheshe buthatha indima ebalulekile ekilasini, buxosha uthisha. Futhi uma sekwenziwe abahlinzeki bobuchwepheshe bathola ukulawula okwengeziwe phezu kokuqukethwe kanye nokulethwa kwemfundo yomphakathi, kuyilapho kwakhiwa isikhungo esizimele kanye nesikhungo esisha senzuzo sebhizinisi laseMelika. Lesi yisimo, kanye nesimo, sokuhlanganiswa kwemfundo yaseMelika emkhathizwe. Kungumbono manje ohlelwa ngabakwaBill Gates bomhlaba wokufundisa umphakathi eMelika emashumini eminyaka ezayo.
UJack Rasmus ungumbhali wencwadi ka-April 2012, โUmnotho Ka-Obama: Ukusimama Kwabambalwaโ, enyatheliswa i-Pluto Books kanye ne-Palgrave-Macmillan, etholakala ku-inthanethi futhi kubhulogi yombhali, jackrasmus.com, kanye newebhusayithi: www.kyklosproductions.com.