IMPROVE TEST SCORES BY STRESSING BASICS

The news wasn't very newsy. The test scores of American children are lagging behind students in other industrialized countries.

The comparisons have become routine, and the fact American children lag behind is also becoming commonplace. U.S. students did poorly in math with scores markedly lower than 14 other countries. In science, U.S. student scores were lower than 11 other countries.

Bureaucrats love to wail about the state of education, but nothing gets done. What needs to be done is for America's public schools to return to the basics. It is time to throw feel-good education out the window.

Most everyone can agree on what's needed: smaller classes, better teaching, higher standards, more discipline and greater accountability. But the kooky schemes that both state and federal legislators and bureaucrat embrace to achieve those goals have simply made things worse.

The federal government wants to find a one-size-fits-all fix for education. There is no such thing. Decisions about improving education should be left to the local school boards. Greater local control would go a long way to improving education.

Moreover, educators must push for a return to such essentials as reading, writing and arithmetic. Trying to teach advanced lessons without a foundation of the basics is like building on shifting sand.

Tests should measure answers that are right or wrong. Schools should be able to take a tough stance on discipline. Accountability should be expected both from teachers and students.

More money seems to be the increasing call. But money alone will not solve education's woes. Just look at Kansas City and St. Louis city school systems. Millions upon millions of dollars have been pumped into these systems, thanks to desegregation payments. But student achievement still lags behind.

Why do many foreign students score higher than Americans on these tests? Culture has a lot to do with it. In many of these countries, education is a priority of students and families. Homework comes first. An education is seen as a privilege, not a chore.

And in many of these countries, students must perform well at an early age. Their educational future -- whether it be college or trade school -- is determined in elementary school.

Public education alone cannot fix itself. Parents must place a priority on education at home. The emphasis on reading and learning should start at an early age.

This breakdown of the American educational system will have an impact on America's global standing in a technological age. That's a lesson America may learn the hard way.