The Night I Got Mad At Oprah

So I was watching yet another episode of Oprah and instead of being reduced to tears because of touching moments, I am mad.

Her special report was on the deteriorating state of US Education. As should be, she underscored the gravity of the number of high school drop outs, etcetera. Having been a teacher for 3 years and having decided on continuing to do so till I am able, I totally get it. I. Get. It.

What I am livid about are the following:

Oprah said that based on some study or another, the US now places 24th in terms of Math aptitude. Shocking. What she said after, however, disturbed me (and it still does). She said that "poorer" nations are now doing better. It's not so much that she was stating details that could have easily been supported by facts. It was her whole attitude about it. As if those "poorer" nations had no right to be better than the US.

She then said that the position that America has a as a world leader is now being threatened by the fact that its children are basically getting dumber (my paraphrasing, not her words).

So!?!?!?!

What about nations that do not have the ability to place in any positive global standard because of the debt they have with these alleged power nations? What about the million of children ELSEWHERE, in the rest of the world (read: MAJORITY of the WORLD) who are not given the right to free quality education?

So what if these "poorer" nations are doing better? Instead of talking about how badly that puts America in WHATEVER list it leads in, how about giving due kudos to these nations who have recognized that the greatest weapon they have against the tyranny of poverty is education?

Listen up. The problem, America, is that you have grown too complacent and arrogant. You are raising children used to comfort, who feel as if they don't need to work to have luxury. While this is what is ideal, you are, in a nutshell, raising a nation of spoiled brats.

Us "poor nations" know we have to work hard. Sure, there are all sorts of things that continue to bog us down: corruption and greed and hatred and envy. But we work. And you know what the good thing about being used to being at the bottom is? When somebody overtakes us, we can congratulate them and know we just need to keep working to be better. Not begrudge others of hard-earned success.

Shame, shame, shame on you.

And yes, I do realize the irony of the fact that I will be going there in about a month to study EDUCATION there. Yeah. See how this poor Filipino will break all your learning curves. See how this poor Filipino will show you all what learning is for.

You go focus on your problem, because that is valid. But don't go harping on it just because it makes you look bad. It makes you look bad because others are beginning to look better.

WHAT KIND OF STANDARD IS THAT?

Greatness is not relative. You either are or you aren't.