Spending doesn't always equate to better quality and US education is a good example of this. Not sure where you get the only a few countries provide textbooks for free. It's true in all developed countries I believe and in most developing countries as well. School bus service is a necessity as walking is impossible in many parts of US and suburbia doesn't have reliable public transportation.
My point is USA really didn't skimp on cost when it comes to education; it's just that it didn't spend enough resources to cultivate talents in STEM which is now seen as vital to economic and scientific development. Insourcing STEM talents from abroad is not the best solution as we are slowly finding out right now.
Cost is not a particularly good matrix to evaluate quality of education, and we know the US ranks very low globally in 0 to 12 years education levels. As I've pointed out earlier, America's working class never needed an education to reach middle class income as plumbers, carpenters or electricians. Still today, 9% of adults never finished HS and nearly 28% only have a HS diploma. It certainly doesn't help when our politicians keep telling the masses that going to college is elitist. More dramatic though is the fact that what is taught is often of poor quality, with kids who graduate barely able to read, write or count and the worst part of it is, they don't need to. Why? Because there is no incentive! Those same politicians who berate education also remind these kids they can make as much, if not more money, in blue collar jobs than those who graduate from college. And with the system as is, it cost a quarter million dollars to get a college degree in the US. But at the risk of getting dismembered by the Lefties here, it's not just Republicans who are demotivating kids from going to college, but Democrats are just as bad by supporting unions to provide middle class incomes for blue collar jobs. Why in the heck would you try to become an engineer to make $120k a year when you can make the same fixing potholes or (as was said on this forum) cleaning toilet sewers and not have to get indebted for life at 25 and be called an elitist by your drinking buddies?!? Let's be honest... Let me burst bubbles, most 4 year college degrees in the US are simply a means for middle class kids to mingle with each other and get married. Yes, take out the top 25 colleges in the country, and what you have left is.... Not enviable, but necessary to get white collar jobs in glistening high rise business towers. I would say that US educational competitiveness begins at the Master's degree level and PhD. Surprise, surprise this is where most foreign STEM students come in and, in STEM in particular, they represent 50 to 80% of the student bodies of our prestigious universities. It is impossible in my opinion for the US to change its model to motivate, encourage and finance our home grown kids in sufficient numbers to fill our needs to remain competitive in the sciences. It's a given that our STEM education and jobs are filled 90%+ by 1st and 2nd generation Americans, green card holders and visa holders.
%% Exactly; even more so when one or any looks @ US home school education..............................................................................[Less unions are better ]
Education quality seems to be better in certain European countries, based on scoring. And when it comes to STEM talent, China and India with their population numbers are still likely to provide a lot of talent for western countries, simply as a numbers game.
%% I seldom agree with the chicom leaders on anything; but they are good about wanting the chicoms to learn English. Science [t] tech [e]engineer or english [m] maybe math is not so important add machine work well LOL Of course M in CAN SLIM= important private education, not under jurisdiction of US dept of education or chicoms............. Dont know who drew lines thru this Maybe chicoms
It's a conundrum. Poor countries are spending precious resources educating their kids to excel in STEM studies, only to lose them to well recognized US universities where they pursue doctoral studies, then often stay on to work in the STEM industries. We discussed the fact that an increasing number are returning home to create businesses there, but it's still a trickle. https://m.timesofindia.com/business...n-in-the-country/amp_articleshow/90718017.cms On the other hand, America has perfected the science of attracting talents through sophisticated marketing, and providing high paying employment to those who come to America. The US government is pushing to remove PhD students from limits placed on green cards to international students. It's very difficult as an immigrant to decide what to do, stay in the country that provides incredible opportunities, or return home where family, friends and culture are source of comfort but work opportunities and salaries are more limited. I'm a proponent of supply and demand and wouldn't want to see restrictions put on students by foreign nations to study and work in the US. Foreign universities have become much better at marketing their expertise in both Europe and Asia. But until the various rankings by anglo media which favor anglo universities are dismissed as fluff, it will be difficult to limit the brain drain to the US.