This issue of falling educational standards is of great importance in the world today. In this
essay, I will briefly discuss some of the main causes of this problem and also offer some
possible solutions to it.
In my view, one of the main reasons for poor quality education is that school students are
not disciplined properly. In the past, teachers could smack or cane children who
misbehaved. Now, however, this kind of punishment is not allowed and many teachers are
losing control of their students as a result. If student do not listen, teachers cannot teach
and learning becomes impossible. Clearly, discipline must be restored if we are to improve
educational standards. Of course, there are many other ways to discipline children;
however, I would argue that physical punishment is still the most effective method.
Another reason for poor reading, writing and mathematical skills among students today is
that many schools waste too much time teaching “soft” subjects like music, art and drama.
These subjects are certainly interesting. However, they tend to distract students from more
important subjects like mathematics and English. The more time a student spends learning
how to paint, the less time they spend learning how to read. Thus, in order to improve basic
literacy and numeracy, I would argue that schools should focus their attention on core
subjects.
In conclusion, this is such a complex problem that I don’t believe any real solution will be
found in the near future. However, I am convinced that the steps mentioned above would
be helpful.