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IELTS Topic: Education
Reading 3
Young, gifted and neglected
Original source: The New York Times
U.S. President Obama and Prime Ministers Boris Johnson (U.K.), Justin Trudeau (Canada) and Scott Morrison (Australia) are just three of many world leaders who have attended elite high schools. So too did the founders of Amazon (Geoff Bezos), Microsoft (Bill Gates) and Instagram (Kevin Systrom). All are undeniably smart and well-educated and owe much of their success to the strong foundation laid by excellent schools.
Every motivated, high-potential young student deserves a similar opportunity says Chester Finn, Senior Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institute. Yet their families generally cannot afford the expensive private schools and the public education system, where all students are generally lumped together regardless of ability, is failing them.
Every motivated, high-potential young student deserves to attend an elite high school, just as President Obama did.
Source: Shutterstock
“Public education’s neglect of high-ability students doesn’t just deny individuals opportunities they deserve,” he says. “It also imperils the country’s future supply of scientists, inventors and entrepreneurs.”
Segregating students into classes (or schools) based on competence, known as streaming, is his preferred solution, the best way to tailor lessons to student ability.
Dr Finn says high-performing public schools are safe, educational havens for families with smart kids but few alternatives. “Everyone focuses on teaching and learning. It’s O.K. to be a nerd.
“You’re surrounded by kids like you and taught by teachers who are more likely to have PhDs or college-level experience than high school instructors elsewhere.”