An Huffington Post article on the sorry state of education tackles the phenomenon (tongue-in-cheek) of increased class sizes as a consequence of reduced budgets. In the wake of mass educator dismissals, the remaining teachers are forced to teach upwards of 25 or 30 students, while parents and administrators unrealistically expect the same results as before. Children suffer because they have a hard time focusing in larger classes and do not receive individualized attention. Teachers sacrifice good learning for bulk learning: so long as most of the kids understand, the class can move on.
This article suggests that the government has no problem cutting education budgets because the effects are harder to measure and far less visible to the public eye, than cutting other essential programs such as the fire and police forces. The happenings in the halls of learning are removed from public scrutiny until agencies release test score analysis concerning a period of years.
Did the Huffington Post get it right? Is that the reason politicians have no problem cutting education programs and school funding?
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