The recent report that ranked America just "average" in the world Program for International Student Assessment raises questions about how well our educational system is doing ("American teens' test results significantly lag Europe, Asia," Dec. 8). Some believe it is a sign of poor quality instruction and lax standards. Perhaps there are other factors that explain the results.
Scoring leaders such as Singapore and Finland have vastly different cultures and education systems. First, teaching is highly regarded: Society respects teachers and treats them as professionals.
Teachers in both Finland and Singapore come from top institutions and are well paid compared to other occupations. Teachers in Singapore and Finland spend less than 50 percent of their time in classrooms. They have much more time than U.S. teachers to plan, to collaborate and to innovate. Teachers in Finland are given much greater autonomy to create interesting and motivating lessons.
The United States has a much more diverse population than Singapore and Finland, with many more languages and cultures to accommodate. It's one thing to compare test scores; quite another to compare the total picture. We can do more, but should be realistic about the additional challenges educators face in America.
ROBERT SHUMER, EAGAN
