America Skips School Analysis

Education has importance in life because it gives people the skills and tools they need to be successful. Reading, writing, calculating, and communicating would not exist without education. People would also not be able to perform jobs competently, accurately and safely. In “America Skips School” by Benjamin R. Barber, Barber believes America needs to get their act together. People need to stop making excuses and calling their problems an “education crisis.” They need to take a stand, make a change, and start caring about education. The value of education determines the amount of effort expressed towards education.

America’s negative perception of education causes a crisis. Most Americans believe school does not matter, and their education levels show. America’s education levels are extremely low. Barber states, “Fewer than 20 percent of those surveyed could compare two metaphors in a poem; not 4 percent could calculate the cost of carpeting at a given price for

Americans do not want to take initiative and learn. Barber states, “But today I am increasingly persuaded that the reason for the country’s inactions is that Americans do not really care about education.” (Barber, 2014, p. 210) Why does school not matter? In today’s day and age, people do not understand the true reason for education and educations purpose. The reason children’s interests in education have plummeted are because of the parents. Barber explains, “And parents will have to be drawn in not just because they have rights or because they are politically potent but because they have responsibilities and their children are unlikely to learn without parental engagement.” (Barber, 2014 p. 217) Parents need to engage with their children. Nowadays kids do their own things, and parents do not care or know about their children’s life. Engagement with the children is vital because kids need to learn the importance of schooling and