This article from the Christian Science Monitor illustrates the growing trend of retired baby-boomers being replaced by poorly educated and illiterate immigrant workers. I think that this argument is central in the debate about how to deal with a workforce, and their children, that doesn’t speak English as a first language. I am concerned that if we don’t find a productive way to educate immigrants and other non-English speaking members of our society, we will develop some of the negative attributes described by this article.
If they can’t reverse the trend, then it could spell trouble for a large swath of the labor force, widen an already large skill gap, and shrink the middle class.
The gap that the author speaks of is exactly what we, as teachers, are trying to avoid in the classroom. The emphasis on providing a quality education for all students is made much more difficult when combined with a language barrier. I think that this should definitely be a priority for all teachers. The influx of different nationalities requires us to take a really hard look at the way our educational system is organized. I think that something drastic will need to happen to alter the course we seem to be on.
What they hope to do, they say, is call attention to urgent issues that affect not just many Americans’ lifestyle, but the sort of democracy based on an informed middle class that the country was founded on.
More than half of the immigrant Hispanics lack a high school diploma.
The author of this article makes some suggestions about how to deal with the problem of educating this segment of our society. They look to the educational system for continued growth and development. We need to evolve our programming to create room for this growing population. Many of the positive programs that we have in place need to be expanded upon and evaluated for their value. Unfortunately, this requires funds and dedication, both of which are hard to find without restructuring the entire system.
Coming US challenge: a less literate workforce
A larger share of workers will have minimal reading skills in 2030 than today, according to a report released Monday.
By Amanda Paulson | Staff writer of The Christian Science MonitorTo read the complete article, click here.
April 11, 2007 at 12:51 am |
Interesting response. A few thoughts…could this be why Grand Valley requires 3rd semester proficiency in a foreign language? In my opinion, learning Spanish as teachers can be beneficial as we look for work because so many students are hispanic in certain areas, and as teachers, we are expected to unite our classrooms. Having this Spanish knowledge with our already extensive knowledge of English can only help bridge this gap in order to make our classrooms more coherent and productive.
The point you make about more than half of hispanics lacking a high school diploma is also interesting because so many people from this cultural only come to America seeking a better life by working jobs that Americans feel are below them. So do they want an education? Is our country going to become split since neither side is really making a deciding move to unite everyone? We cannot force Hispanics into a classroom in order to teach them English because they are busy working in order to remain in the country. In the same way, many Americans are busy with attempting to be successful in work and school without much concern for the problems you bring up. So should more schools incorporate Spanish into their curriculum in order to close this gap (colleges that is)? Even if that does happen, won’t there still be a class gap between Hispanic laborers and American professionals?
April 11, 2007 at 4:48 am |
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