Education Needs to Change as Fast as Technology

More Americans go to college than ever. But how many think about the return they will get from tuition payments that can easily reach $200,000? Up to half are unemployed or underemployed a year after graduation. And two-thirds say they need further training and instruction to enter the workforce, reports Accenture .

As student debt balloons, it’s time for society to re-evaluate postsecondary education—and our entire system. We need to create new and innovative systems that help individuals achieve their potential.

The Web is changing many important functions of modern society—how we transfer money, communicate, purchase products, and more—but has been slow to transform the critical task of educating the next generation of citizens and leaders.

American education remains basically modeled on an approach hundreds of years old. Students with varying levels of ability sit in classes organized by grade level before a “sage on the stage” who teaches reading, writing, arithmetic, and a bit of science. That system, at least in the U.S., doesn’t seem to work well enough. Among developed countries ranked by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the U.S. is 31st in math achievement, 24th in science, and 21st in reading.

It’s time for education to catch up with our technologically enhanced society. Students deserve a relevant, modern, customized education that helps them acquire 21st century skills. So does American society.

- Read More