Education's Sustainable Future

Education is the root of all sustainable cultures. Problems that America faces are based in a lack of education, or more specifically, an inability to invest in the long-term, only paying attention to short-term gratifications. Mismanaged credit card debt from a lack of savings. Using and tossing a paper napkin every day at lunch instead of packing a cloth napkin. Opening a dinner bag instead of chopping fresh ingredients. Drinking energy drinks rather than sleeping. As society realizes this mentality has damaged the educational system, people call for changes, such as a current movement in the educational field to return to the basics such as the 3 R's. While the conception is fine, it is not the only solution. Educators should evaluate current practices and research, not simply knock them to the side.

An 'education' takes a long time to cultivate, like a lifetime. It cannot come from one source or take place in a year. Perhaps Americans need more everyday time to build a sustainable educational culture. This will take reevaluation and change. Concentrating on our youth will not yield results for years. Americans can continue to focus on reactive measures, such as prisons, drug rehabs and diet centers, or they can choose the proactive choice-education. For most it will require taking an uncomfortable and unfamiliar chance by working with children and investing in schools. Since education is the base of a sustainable lifestyle, Americans need the knowledge to look at America's system.

Typically, education as a force is not newsworthy and therefore rarely examined by the public, but this is slowly changing. Common news outlets like CNN and FOX do not devote entire sections to education yet, but they are recently raising awareness of problems and successes. Are they paying dues-just the proper amount of attention to shine their reputations as "committed to the future"? Perhaps education receiving such scant or spotty attention reflects upon American's minimal desire to read it. When covered, many stories emphasize that American education is behind that of other countries. Nothing like a great competition to get Americans involved. No matter the reason, education is getting more attention. Americans should harness this interest into a positive outcome.

How? First, we should address the country's apathy toward education. Americans may feel that education, while vital, is an esoteric field; they didn't do well with it for twelve years and the ridicule they felt years ago haunts them now. Ghosts are enough to keep anyone away from such a driving force. Second, we should examine what other countries' educational systems do correctly. No quick, easy fix when educating a person. Giving and receiving an education is a long, tiring and messy process often riddled with mistakes. America has forgotten this for too long. Only when we have educated ourselves can we begin to fix education.

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