Last week I discussed the assumption by the United States Secretary of Education, Margaret Spellings, that "We are losing some students in our high schools, which do not yet see preparing all pupils for postsecondary education and training as their responsibility." As you could tell, I did not agree with her. As a result of her recommendations, I decided to research what other countries are doing that makes their education system supposedly so much better than ours. What I learned only reinforced by beliefs that if children are not receiving a quality education in our schools, it may not be because the schools are not doing their part. I will discuss this topic in two parts.

According to a study by Richard M. Haynes and Donald M. Chalker, "An education ethic permeates other countries, encouraging students to try hard and do well in school. In every country that delivers a world-class education, communities and parents exhibit a high regard for education, a healthy respect for teachers, and a holy regard for learning -- all key ingredients in an "education ethic" that creates positive expectations for student learning. Unfortunately, the United States lags badly in this area." If you are old enough, you can remember when your parents felt the same way about our schools. They may not have always agreed with the school, but they presented a united front in the presence of the student. Some still do, but they are now in the minority.

The study goes on to conclude that teachers in other countries receive more respect than they do in the United States. For example, in Japan it is considered a status symbol to have a teacher live in your neighborhood, and the government offers teachers low or no-interest mortgages on their homes. In Taiwan, teachers don't pay income tax, and Confucius' birthday is celebrated as Teachers Day, a national holiday on Sept. 29. In the United States, teachers are among the lowest paid professionals when you consider the amount of education that is required to earn a teaching license. I will admit that part of the blame for the lack of respect given to our teachers can be attributed to the fact that we have allowed some people to continue teaching who have no business in the classroom. In some instances, administrators have either not been willing or not had the support to terminate poor teachers. As administrators, if we allow one bad teacher to teach, it does harm to the reputation of many good teachers. We need to do more to promote the many good teachers we have. In other instances, the behavior of a teacher out in the community causes a lack of respect for all teachers. The courts have told the school districts that what teachers do on their own time is their own business unless you can prove that it impairs their ability to teach.

In world-class schools, the students are motivated and ready to learn. According to the study, in the United States too many students ignore educational opportunities and work instead at disrupting other students. I expressed this belief last week. You also have additional costs associated with dealing with these disruptive students. Often times, they must be removed, for everyone's safety, and are placed in alternative schools. Many other countries avoid this expense and distraction by having a strong education ethic that encourages students to try hard and do well in school. Although in most states, an alternative school can be managed by the local school district through reimbursement from the state for getting these students back in school, there is a cost because these students could be in school without the additional expense to the state.

The study goes on to conclude that this education ethic begins with parents. The difference in attitude is probably most evident when parents are called in to discuss a problem at school. When Japanese school officials call parents to school because a child is disruptive, the parents typically ask, "What's wrong with my child?" In the United States, the parent often asks, "What's wrong with this school?"

So far it appears that the main reason our students as a whole are not receiving the quality of education they should be getting is because they do not have the "education ethic" that students in other countries have. Next week I will discuss the reasons given for this and take a look at a school day in our school compared to other countries. I believe it can be easily proven that the quality of education provided in this country is as good as in other nations.

(Richard M. Haynes is associate professor of administration, curriculum, and instruction, and Donald M. Chalker is head of administration, curriculum, and instruction, at Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, N.C. They coauthored a book entitled, World Class Elementary Schools: An Agenda for Action.)