The Bell curve

Okay,like I mentioned before ,statistics can be used to twist things on their head-here's the proof-not of a full fledged scam ,but a reinterpretation if not misinterpretation of things.

http://news.yahoo.com/us-students-far-first-math-182447591.html

So,somewhere in the middle of the article it says,American kids still perform better than the global average in all areas,though the ones from poorer regions do not do as well.
Someone reading this can go,"Oh,so we are doing well,in all areas.What is the problem then?"
The fact that as the world leader in pretty much everything(supposedly-largest mustache,anyone?),we should be acing these tests and be at the top of the bell curve-where most other countries aspire to be.What does "better than the global average" mean?Better by how much?So countries performing marginally lower than the global average can also claim to be doing well right?
The preponderance of Asian countries in the list is thought provoking-Singapore,S.Korea,Taiwan....
The pressure on Asian kids to excel at academics is scary-you hear about kids committing suicide and DON'T wonder why.
By the same token,you look at kids in the US and wonder what is lacking.Can't come up with much!Except maybe the pressure to do well in school-I remember an article in the Atlantic maybe last year titled,"How to Land Your Kid in Therapy" by Lori Gottlieb:


http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/07/how-to-land-your-kid-in-therapy/308555/


A few paragraphs down,she writes about narcissism and it's effects on kids-obviously she mentions Amy Chua!!Participation certificates for everything,praise by the bushels,non score keeping games.So,most parents seem to want the best for their kids,but the approach is diametrically opposite.I have quite a few teachers tell me that children should not be compelled to study hard because that will make them hate school and in the process undermine any effort to educate them.Seriously?If my sons were given a choice between schoolwork and using the iPad-need I give you the answer?Self-starters are not that common and unless there is a degree of responsibility allotted to the child,he or she will never learn.I once had a mother tell me all that mattered to her was that her kids met benchmarks-nothing more.Sounds almost exactly like the comment from the article today right?

Both articles makes interesting reading-and makes you wonder which side you are on.But one thing is obvious-the educational system needs help!!Arne Duncan-DO SOMETHING!