Submitted by Sanjay Mishra, Dec 22, 2006 11:59

The statement, "It is ironic that an immigrant child from India will have been taught math more rigorously in New Delhi than in New York" most aptly highlights the fundamental problem of American education. It is amazing that a perfectionist society like ours will so easily ignore the most glaring holes our our educational process. Education is the product of enormous toil. If you take the rigor out of it and try to make it more luxurious than a star-hotel: it will be just another diversion in the day of child full of TV, video games, toys, and dining out. I agree, the educational process should not be fearsome in the Dickensian way but at the same time it must demand at least the same number of hours and same amount of sweat that any would-be NBA pro is willing to put in. How come a sweating athlete is portrayed on SI, but it never occurs to none to flaunt a child burning his midnight oil cramming a physics books. Our children are willing to put more efforts in winning the next X-box tournament than are demanded to put in finishing their homework.

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