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No Fail Policy

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No Fail Policy
“The first step in solving any problem is to recognize there is one. America is not the greatest country in the world anymore.” After three and a half minutes, Jeff Daniels ended his gloomy soliloquy in the opening scene of the HBO show The Newsroom which addressed the problem of America’s decline. Also, it left a gut-wrenching question in the stomachs of thousands of Americans: Is America actually on the decline? The answer is simple, America is on a downward slope and the numbers shed light on the truth. In 2012, America was ranked 22nd out of 27 countries in education (“International Comparisons of Achievement”). Currently, we have the world’s highest incarceration rate per capita (Scommegna), and we are ranked 12th in economic freedom …show more content…
Complacency and reforms in schools have hindered the education of today’s youth, and to see a change, we need to make certain modifications to climb the ladder to number one again. First, the no-fail policy needs to be eliminated. The no-fail policy was first instituted to assure that all students would receive an education; however, after years of misinterpretation, the policy has caused some students to be lazy because there is no fear of failure. In Idaho for instance, a teacher promised to pass all of the kids if they showed up to class and turned in all of their homework (Hurst). Instead of rewarding students for knowledge, we are rewarding kids just to be present, but more importantly, kids are being passed on to the next grade without actually understanding the curriculum; this not only hurts the individual but the nation as a whole. To take a step in the right direction, the no-fail policy should be replaced with a policy that holds the student accountable for academic achievement, and if the child does not understand the curriculum, the course should be retaken. By doing this, students will take studying seriously, and hopefully, students would then be able to advance more quickly because they understand the basic principles. Climbing back to the top of education has more significance than bragging rights. Having a well-educated population helps the nation grow and
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