As we speak, political contortionists are caucusing behind the scenes trying to figure out ways to make President Bush's newfound zeal for space exploration seem like a worthy cause for scrupulous American tax payer dollars in the year to come.
In a time when a slew of both domestic and international issues rest on the tips of everyone's tongues, Bush's proposal to use an outpost on the moon as a jumping off point for the exploration of more remote destinations such as Mars, is as irresponsible an idea as any. His proposal to venture to the moon, and beyond, at this juncture makes me wonder how important some politicians believe the welfare of others on this planet, and in this country, really is.
While Bush makes a ploy to enter a new space race, Democrats are sure to shutter in disbelief at the idea that the President is blasting off on a new tangent while many of the children in America's public school systems are challenged with living up to the presidentially-endorsed "No Child Left Behind Act." The nearly two-year old bill that Republicans have been ballyhooing as part of a newfound rigor given public education has expanded testing and streamlined standards given to students and teachers, but opponents of the act have cited that the firmness of these standards have not only blindsided educators not used to such mandates and continuous testing procedure, but have robbed children as well, of time and money spent learning about subjects outside of the testing realm. Children in the poorest and lowest performing schools steadily feel the decline in their education, as after-school and tutoring programs are curtailed to make way, and funds, for living up to Bush's national standard; and while these schools are continually strapped for cash, our President seems ready to stake another claim and spend even more money looking beyond our borders, international and inter-planetary.
Although nationally, education is currently receiving the most funding that it ever has, in many of the nation's schools, implementing "No Child Left Behind" and it's contiguous tests and accountability procedures for administration, has come at the cost of school's losing funding for music, art, dance and athletic programs- programs which have proven to often help children in the poorest and lowest performing schools stay up to standard. Democrats have argued that this fiscal year's education budget is under-funded by some 7.5 billion dollars, however while Bush is championing improvements in education while on the campaign trail, the vast majority of under-privileged children are still suffering in key areas of development.
Bush, of all people, should understand that development is not simply contained in the 3 "r's" of reading, writing and arithmetic, and that children should be granted the opportunity to learn and develop in areas outside of the traditional realm of education, not simply those that their school systems can afford. I would hope that the president of the United States would be one to defend the idea that it takes more to be successful in this day and age than simply mastering the basics in school.
Education in public schools should be so comprehensive that it prepares children for the ever-changing, globalized job market of tomorrow where technology, business, politics, culture and the arts have as much to do with one's education, as do the more traditional subjects of reading and math.
Instead of harping on what life may be "out there," Bush should be recognizing that there are a world of options for the future of public education right here, and that standardized testing is only one of those options and not necessarily the one that will solve education's problems. Without thinking outside of the box, and simply running rigorous drills on our students, how can we expect their creative energies to be channeled or even formulated without further advancing their education or their opportunity to study various different subjects? Without these proper opportunities and the chance to think outside of their comfort zones, students of the past would have never thought that they could venture to new worlds, send satellites to Mars, or become Presidents of the United States in the first place.
If all children must be held to a standard nationally, in terms of their education, that standard should not come at the cost of developing these students' abilities to gain instruction in the arts, technology, athletics, or the sciences, for that matter. Without a combination of these subject areas, children today won't be receiving a real or comprehensive education, and for what it's worth to Bush and the "No Child Left Behind Act," they won't be getting ahead either.
(Kazz Alexander Pinkard's column appears Thursdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at kpinkard@cavalierdaily.com.)
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